


Luminary of the Stars

by Livitup



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Plague, danganronpa - Freeform, danganronpa v3, space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 85,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26881612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livitup/pseuds/Livitup
Summary: Kaito's always known that he was destined to be in space. At long last, he gets his chance when he's chosen to be part of a crew of sixteen Ultimates specifically selected for what might be the most badass mission possible! All they have to do is beat back alien overlords, stop abductions, and find a cure for a deadly virus. Nothing too hard, right?For the Luminary of the Stars, this mission should be no sweat. However, when shot into space with fifteen not so stellar teammates, it might be a little hard to get things done. Not to mention that the organization Kaito's supposed to trust might be a little more sketch than previously thought. And there's the small, small issue of his faked health credentials...But none of that can stand in the way of the one and only Luminary of the Stars! Kaito's got this handled...hopefully...(Crossposted on Wattpad)
Relationships: Nothing exactly but I'm pretty sure you can see some stuff if you squint XD
Comments: 18
Kudos: 62





	1. Preparations

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! I don't know what inspired me to write this, it just happened. It's probably terrible, and that's ok I guess!! Anyways, if you are actually reading this, I hope you enjoy XD

This was happening. This was actually happening. Kaito Momota was walking into an actual space center. There was a more official name for it he was sure, but he was too excited to care. Years of his life had been leading up to this. He was going to be sent into space to save the world. It seemed like the perfect first adventure for the Luminary of the Stars.  
Yeah, there had been some not so stellar events leading up to this. The Invasion was definitely not stellar. For twenty four years now, Earth had been subjected to routine abductions carried out by an unknown extraterrestrial race. The abductions happened every three weeks. Kaito had been present for many. It was uncanny how quickly they happened. Lights would appear in the sky, and soon reports of humanoid creatures would crop up. Finally there would be reports of break ins, people snatched from their homes and dragged back onto the ships, and back to wherever the aliens had come from.  
No one had ever seen one. No one who was still alive and well on Earth anyways. All pictures were blurry. All glimpses were fleeting. There had never been any corpses discovered. Only theories, speculation and a few facts.  
One such fact was that the creatures were far more advanced than humans. Earth was trapped under their inhuman thumbs. (Actually, Kaito wasn't sure that they had thumbs...) There had never been a successful way to prevent the Abductions. Earth was a specimen jar stuffed full of cool things to these space bastards, and they didn't show any signs of leaving. 

Aliens on their own were bad enough, but it was what they brought with them that was even more concerning. The aliens at least left some hope that their victims were alive. The Plague showed no such mercy.  
It had been nicknamed "the space pox" in regards to the fact that it literally had come from space, and due to its similarities to smallpox. Both diseases occurred when humans were exposed to creatures that carried germs that their frail bodies weren't equipped to handle. Both swept across the nation killing thousands, maybe ten thousands a day.  
Any advances in technology to fight off the aliens had been halted by the space pox. There were too many things to focus on at once. Humanity could very well be facing the end of the world. 

But Kaito knew that there was one hope. The Ultimates. A few short decades before the Invasion, the Ultimates were discovered. Individuals who were exceedingly talented. The best of the best, professionals in their fields. It was a miracle.  
So of course it didn't last.  
The Ultimate Phenomena as it became known, didn't last long. Ultimate stopped naturally appearing within three years, and by the time of the Invasion, there hadn't been a natural Ultimate in decades.  
Ultimates were no longer born, but they could be made.  
Kaito didn't fully understand it, he was a man of science after all, but there was a genetic trait that Ultimates had carried, something that enhanced their minds, gave them the capacity for their greatness. The gene, the Ultimate gene, could be replicated, and transplanted into humans at birth. It was custom for every baby to be given an injection containing the Ultimate Gene.  
Sometimes the gene took, other times it didn't. When it did take, the child was changed, transformed. As they grew, they would develop a talent. While that in itself was remarkable, it had been revealed only a few short years ago that Ultimates were immune to the Plague.  
This had given humanity hope, that the Ultimates could hold both the cure to the Plague, and the end to the Abductions.  
And that's where Kaito came in. 

As the Ultimate Astronaut, he had taken interest in all things space before he even understood what the Invasion was. He knew that he was destined to be among the stars, even if others around him didn't believe it. With a little luck, and some possibly sketchy fake credentials, Kaito had proved himself once and for all on an astronaut exam, becoming the youngest person in history to pass, and securing his legacy as an Ultimate.  
It was only natural that he had been chosen for this.  
Kaito had assumed that the government had finally decided to arrest him when the men in the suits showed up. He had kicked over a chair and fled outside, before his grandparents called him back. The men had brought a formal request, not handcuffs.  
The governments of the world had finally decided to make a move. They had decided to form a task force of sixteen Ultimates, who would be sent into space to gather intel on the Invasion. Their immunity to the Plague would guarantee that they would not be harmed by close contact with the creatures, and Ultimates would have specific skills that would be needed.  
And Kaito was one of them. An astronaut was perfect, they said. By accepting the mission, he would be saving the lives of not only his loved ones, but everyone. He'd be a hero.  
And he'd be dammed if he passed that up. 

The only downside was the team. Kaito was cool with a sidekick or two, but a whole group of people? That was pushing it. Kaito liked to think that he could have pulled this off on his own. He would never admit how terrified he really was...  
His concerns only grew when he saw the group. Firstly, he was clearly the last to arrive, which probably looked bad. Secondly...dang.  
The massive waiting lounge before him was occupied by fifteen other people, and Kaito had never seen such a diverse group of people.  
"Hello! You must be the last member!"  
Kaito jumped back, staring at the short, white haired girl that had snuck up behind him. "Jesus! Don't do that!"  
The girl put both of her hands on her cheeks in an expression of mock horror. "Oh? Then whatever will you do if the aliens sneak up on people? Atua has concerns about this one."  
"Ugh, a degenerate male." Another girl spoke up. She was eyeing Kaito with pure disdain. "I keep telling them that an all female task force would do way better!"  
"Come on now, let's try to get along. Not like we're gonna be launched into space in a flyin' cylinder together right?" A green haired boy smiled reassuringly at Kaito. "You certainly look the part."  
Kaito grinned and showed off his star patterned jacket. Yeah, he could do this, nerves be dammed. This could turn out to be the best damn crew in the galaxy!  
"Eesh, what a kiss-ass." Kaito turned to see a shorter boy with violet tinted hair, smirking at him. "What strings did you pull to get in here? Did you wave some cash around? Or did you actually kneel down and-"  
"Kokichi shut up." A blonde girl with a backpack said. She turned to Kaito. "He's asked everyone that. Ignore him ok? I'm sure your talent is super cool! I'm Kaede Akamatsu. I'm the Ultimate Pianist!"  
Kaito returned her bright smile, despite his confusion over what a pianist could possibly do in space. "Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut!"  
"Well, that's certainly a useful talent. Havin' you around might really help." The green haired boy had joined the conversation. "I'm Rantaro Amami. I'm the Ultimate Adventurer. I've been all over, but never to space."  
"Don't worry about it, neither have I." Kaito admitted. "I'm guessing it'll be the first time for all of us."  
"I dunno why you're talkin' about first times, but if you need a hand, I'm always happy to help!" A blonde haired girl pushed her way into the triangle Kaito and the others had made. "Miu Iruma, the Gorgeous Girl Genius. Or the Ultimate Inventor. Your choice."

Talking with his new crewmates only made Kaito more excited. Kaede was a bundle of sunshine. Rantaro was calm and laid back, traits that would do well in a crisis. Miu, while brash and lewd, was clearly highly intelligent. This was going well.  
"What good is an astronaut that's never been to space?" The boy named Kokichi whined. "I have a bad feeling about this. Someone let this random clown in, and he's gonna get us all killed!"  
Kaede's smile vanished. "Stop it. No one's going to die."  
"Nishishi! Keep telling yourself that." Kokichi said, turning to Kaito. "I on the other hand, am taking bets. Who do you think is gonna bite it first? My money's on dumb and dumber over there." he pointed to a massive mountain of a man, who was staring intently at a potted plant.  
"I'm sure he's just the strong silent type." Kaede said uncertainly. Kokichi laughed again and walked away, going to annoy one of the security guards at the door.  
"Well he's gonna be fun." Kaito grumbled. He turned towards the rest of the group. The girl who called him a degenerate was still staring at him.  
"Well, we're all here for a reason. Our talents made us important parts of this." Rantaro said. "He's gotta be good for something."  
Kaito saw the guard look longingly at his taser as Kokichi rambled. "I wouldn't be so sure."

About fifteen minutes of small talk had passed before an official looking group of men and women entered the lounge. "Please be seated." their leader, a woman said. Kaito slumped onto a chair in between Kaede and Rantaro.  
"Welcome to the Towa City Center for Space Exploration." the woman continued, regarding the sixteen Ultimates calmly. "You may know us as the first space center in the world to make it outside our own galaxy. You may also know us as the arrogant fools who allowed the Invasion and its subsequent horrors to happen. Regardless of your feelings towards us, our purpose remains. You are the sixteen people chosen to potentially change the course of our existence."  
"You wanna tell us what that means?" Kaito turned to see a shorter figure, reclining on another chair. He wore a hat that gave him the illusion of pointy ears, but the most surprising part of his appearance was that his hands were handcuffed behind his back.  
"I would think you of all people would be exceedingly grateful to be here, Mr. Hoshi." the woman said, her tone slightly colder. "You are not in a position to ask questions, but rest assured, you will have all your answers in due time."  
"It's Ryoma, I'm not that kind of person worthy of any respect, but if I'm gonna die for you people, at least grant me that." Ryoma said, eyeing the woman suspiciously. "You can do whatever you want with me, but I'm not sure if I'm cool with you sacrificing fifteen innocents. You still got a long way to go to earn anyone's trust."  
"You do not need to trust us." the woman continued. "And rest assured, no one is going to die. You will return to earth as heroes, famous. Except you, Mr. Hoshi. I only see a dark prison cell for you."  
Ryoma held the woman's gaze a moment longer, before sighing. "Guess I'm not getting anything out of you, am I."  
The woman continued as if nothing had happened. "You know the premise of your mission, but not the details. I am here to enlighten you on that." she clasped her hands together. "You have been chosen specifically to be sent to the heart of the Invasion, to gather information that may change the direction of this war. Your goals include learning as much about these oppressors as possible, and finding a cure for the plague."  
"Jeez, no pressure huh?" Kaede said softly, glancing at Kaito and Rantaro. Kaito tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but Rantaro's face was cold.  
"What if we find hostages? Can we try to save them?"  
"No, Mr. Amami. Any and all victims of the Abductions are considered dead. Even if you do find someone alive, you are to leave them, no matter their connection to you."  
"And if I don't?" Rantaro asked. Kaito was surprised about how threatening he had become. It was a stark change from the relaxed, friendly boy he'd thought Rantaro to be.  
"You will be forced to witness their execution upon their entry of Earth premises." the woman said flatly. "Do not make us regret choosing you for this mission. There is always room in the cell for you with Mr. Hoshi."  
Rantaro gritted his teeth, but relaxed. Kaede put a hand on his arm, eyes showing her concern.  
"Any other questions?" the woman asked.  
"Wait! That's it!" the girl who called Kaito a degenerate jumped up. "You said you were gonna answer our questions!"  
"Ms. Chabashira, please calm yourself. You have been given all the information you need as of now." the woman said. "You will be given more instructions in due time. For now, please use the next hour to acquaint yourselves with one another. We will return for you then."  
"This is bullshit!" Kokichi called at their retreating backs, but neither the woman or her companions turned around. Soon the doors slid shut behind them, and the Ultimates were alone. 

"So, I guess we should introduce ourselves, huh?" Kaede said, forcing a smile. "Hey everyone, I'm Kaede Akamatsu. My title is the Ultimate pianist. It's really nice to meet you all."  
The tense air of the room dissipated a little under Kaede's bright smile. Kaito saw Chabashira physically relax.  
"My name's Tenko. Tenko Chabashira. I'm the Ultimate Aikido Master." Tenko said proudly. "Don't worry! I'm going to protect every woman in this crew. The men though, you're on your own, you useless degenerates."  
"Um, nice to meet you." Kaede said, a little taken aback at her ferocity.  
Kaito watched as Rantaro and Miu introduced themselves to nods of respect. Their talents were definitely something. Just wait until he had his turn. He'd bring down the house!  
Before he could speak, Kaede turned to Ryoma. "Ryoma, right? What's your talent?"  
Ryoma shifted into a more comfortable position, although it looked difficult with the handcuffs. "Ultimate Tennis pro. But that's not important. I haven't been that in a long time."  
"Wait, I've heard of you!" Kaito blurted. "You're that badass who took down an entire Mafia gang with a tennis racket! You're my hero!"  
Ryoma gave him a look of pity. "You might want to pick a new one. That didn't work out so well for me. It was this mission or the electric chair."  
Kaito stared. Ryoma Hoshi had been his hero for years. He had found his beginnings in the same tennis club Kaito later joined. Yeah, Ryoma was like, a lot shorter than he thought he'd be, but Kaito was more surprised about the lack of the will to live.  
"Well isn't that just depressing." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes. "Moving on, I'm Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!"  
Miu stared at him. "No way that's your talent."  
"Yes way!" Kokichi argued. "Would I lie to you? I would never!"  
"Fuckin' virgin." Miu snorted. "Ok, someone talk over the gremlin please, I can feel my ovaries shriveling up every time he speaks."  
Kaito shot her a weird look, which earned him a middle finger. He shrugged it off and faced the group. "Name's Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!" he struck a pose. "I'm the Ultimate Astronaut!"  
"How fascinating. I didn't think you had the scientific requirements." A figure with long dark hair said softly.  
"Hey, you got something to say buddy?" Kaito snapped. "Don't call me an idiot."  
"Kehehehe. I never did. What a temper. I'm looking forward to observing you." the figure tilted their head, revealing gold eyes.  
"You got a talent that'll beat mine? Try me, creep!" Kaito said, raising his fists. ("What terrible form" Tenko snarked to a shorter red haired girl)  
"You mistake me. I have no intentions of fighting. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji. I am known as the Ultimate Anthropologist."  
"Isn't that the study of chimps or something?" Kaito asked.  
Korekiyo's eyes flashed with something resembling anger. "No. It is not."  
Rantaro placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder, pulling him away. "Easy there, no need to fight each other. We have other things to fight."  
Kaito relaxed. He was right. Kaede took up the lead. "Who are you?" she asked to a dark haired boy. He wore a hat over his eyes.  
"What? Me? Um, I'm Shuichi. Shuichi Saihara. Um, I'm the Ultimate detective..." Kaito noted how he refused to make eye contact.  
"That's cool!" Kaede said encouragingly. Kaito nodded. "Yeah, way cooler than the study of chimps!"  
"Anthropology is not the study of chimps-"  
"Ya-ha! My name is Angie Yonaga, I am the Ultimate Artist!" The white haired girl from earlier sprung out of nowhere. "Atua and I look forward to working with you!"  
Kaito looked around, but no one came up and introduced themselves as Atua. "Huh? Who? I don't see anyone."  
"No silly! Atua is a god, and only I can see him!" Angie said like this was the most obvious fact in the world.  
"Ooookay." Kaito said. "Cool?"  
"Nyeh, religion is a pain." the red haired girl said.  
"Bite your tongue!" Angie whirled on her, an almost predatory smile on her face. "By the time this mission is through, I am certain that you will all be devout converts."  
Tenko stepped in front of the redhead. "Hey! You're scaring her!"  
"I'm not scared." The redhead said. Upon closer inspection, Kaito noticed that she was wearing a witch's hat. "Hey, cool hat!"  
"It's my magic hat." the redhead said. "I'm Himiko Yumeno. Everyone calls me the Ultimate Magician, but I'm really the Ultimate Mage."  
"That's so cool!" Kaede exclaimed. "Isn't that like magic tricks and stuff?"  
"It's not a trick. It's magic." Himiko pouted. "I'm a mage. I use real magic, and that's why I was invited here."  
Damn, that was cool. Was she seriously magic? Kaito would definitely have to find out for sure.  
"Awesome!" Kaede said. "Who's next? Hey, how about you? What's your name?"  
She was talking to a girl with long, dark pigtails. She looked as if she'd rather be dead than in the room with everyone else. "I'm Maki Harukawa. My talent isn't important." Everyone waited for her to continue, but Maki turned her back on the group. Eesh, so she was friendly.  
"N-nice to meet you." Kaede said, trying to seem unfazed by her harshness. "How about you?"  
The turquoise haired girl she was speaking to jumped. "Oh! My turn! I almost thought I'd fade into the decoration! You know, because I'm so plain." when she was met with only blank stares, she cleared her throat and continued. "I'm Tsmugi Shirogane. I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer! I make all of my costumes from scratch, and I'm so so excited to be here, it's just like a sci-fi anime, although I don't think there will be enough lions for all of us..."  
So Kaito had no idea what she was talking about. Thankfully, no one else seemed to either. Well, at least she seemed nicer than Maki. However Kaito was sure that being nicer than Maki wasn't a hard thing to do...  
"Woah!" Kokichi's excited shout broke through his thoughts. "Holy crap, guys look at this!" the so called supreme leader was holding what looked to be a small magnet. There were a few maps on whiteboards with similar ones. He must have gotten it from there, Kaito thought.  
"No one cares about a magnet." Miu said.  
As soon as she finished speaking, Kokichi released the magnet. Kaito watched in awe as it jumped towards, and stuck on the arm of another boy.  
"Tada!" Kokichi said proudly, standing up and taking a bow. The other boy looked at the magnet uncomfortably.  
"What the heck?" Tenko asked. She plucked the magnet off, and released it again, only to see it stick back on.  
"He's metal, genius." Miu said. "Anyone can see that. But what I'm interested in is..." she knocked on the boy's chest. "Damn, are you even human."  
"Technically no." the boy admitted. "I'm K1-B0, the Ultimate robot, but please call me Kiibo. I'm a robot. Obviously. Um, please stop tapping on me."  
"Make me." Miu said, before picking up more magnets. "Who wants to throw these with me!"  
"Th-that's robophobic!" Kiibo cried, throwing his arms over his face as Kokichi tossed another magnet.  
"Alright, that's enough." Rantaro said, prying the magnets out of Miu and Kokichi's hands. "Nice to meet you." Kiibo seemed stunned by the aid. Kaito was more stunned by the fact that he was talking to a freaking robot.  
"Ok, who else hasn't gone?" Rantaro asked. He seemed to have taken it upon himself to keep the peace. "How about you?" he asked to the massive Ultimate.  
"Oh, is it Gonta's turn? Gonta's name is Gonta! Gonta is Ultimate Entomologist! That mean Gonta really likes bugs! Do you like bugs?" he gave them the purest of all pure smiles.  
"He's precious." Kaede said, looking at Gonta like he was a puppy.  
"Bet you can't spell Entomologist." Kokichi said drily, ignoring the glare Kaede sent him.  
"E-t-m-o...o-j-i-s?" Gonta offered? Kokichi burst out laughing, and Gonta looked crestfallen. "Gonta not smart. Gonta no can read or spell well."  
"Hey, that's ok. I'm sure you're very smart in your own way." Kaede said. Gonta smiled at this, and clapped his hands together. "Ok, Gonta will trust what new friend is saying."  
"If everyone else has gone, than I will introduce myself." the woman at the back of the room said. She was dressed fancily. "I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. It is my pleasure to carry out any and all requests that you have."  
"Woah, a maid and a roomba! Guess our ship's gonna be pretty clean." Kokichi said.  
"Please do not call me a roomba!" Kiibo cried. Kaito felt bad for him. It couldn't be easy with all the robot jokes. 

Three or four robophobic jokes later, the conversation finally died down. Kaito looked across the room awkwardly, receiving fifteen awkward stares in return. Time for the Luminary of the Stars to liven things up. Kaito was gonna say the first thing that came to mind. Three, two, one...  
"Man I love blueberries. You guys like blueberries?" Kaito internally cringed. That definitely sounded intelligent.  
"What? Um, sure, I do." Tsmugi said, looking confused. "They make plain old foods like yogurt taste good!"  
"Gonta find lots of cool bugs in blueberry bush!" Gonta said excitedly. "So bugs must like blueberries too. Gonta does too!"  
"If you would like, I could prepare a number of dishes that feature blueberries." Kirumi said. "Pies, crumbles, sauces for more savory dishes-"  
"Oh my god, please be my mom!" Kokichi said. Kirumi nodded. "If that is your request."  
So maybe the blueberries had been a good idea after all. The group was now offering their own opinions on blueberries, or exchanging blueberry related stories. Kaede caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up.  
The feeling of elation faded as the doors slid open, and everyone shut up. The woman and her companions strode back in, regarding everyone calmly. "I see you are getting along well." she continued speaking without giving anyone a chance to respond. "It is time to begin preparations for the launch. Please enter the lavatories to change into your uniforms, and meet in the center wing for final checks and health screenings." Kaito tried to ignore the cold twinge in his stomach. The woman continued speaking. "We will not tolerate tardiness. If you fail to show, you will be left behind. That is all."  
Like a machine, she and her companions turned on their heels and strode out the door. Creepy, Kaito thought.  
Kaede's voice broke the silence. "Well, I guess we'd better get going then!" despite her bright tone, no one could ignore the note of uncertainty. The entire room gave off a fear of nerves. This was happening so quickly...  
Kaito jumped to his feet. "Yup! I don't know about you guys, but I'm not missing out on this! I'll see whoever has the balls to be there on the launch pad!" he grinned before exiting the room and making his way towards the men's restroom. Kaito didn't look behind him, looking back wouldn't look cool. But he had the feeling that everyone was following behind him to the restroom.  
But not the girls. That would be weird. They were all following him to the restroom, but would split off into one or the other.  
Dammit, this wasn't a very cool train of thought was it.


	2. Final Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote these first few chapters a while ago, so I'm just gonna post them all now. Yayyyy XD

There were uniforms hanging on hooks when Kaito entered the bathroom, all labeled with names. There was something unnerving about the identical gray body shaped shadows hanging in a line.   
Rantaro whistled. "Damn, creepy much?"   
"No kidding." Kaito said, picking up a sleeve and letting it drop back. "Think I'm gonna be able to look hot in this?"  
Rantaro snorted. "What'd you call yourself? Luminary of the Stars? I'm sure you could with that attitude." With that, he carefully pulled his own uniform off a hook and vanished into a changing stall.   
"Which is Gonta's?" Gonta asked. He lifted up a child sized suit. "Gonta not sure this fit. It look like it for little baby."  
Ryoma held his hand out for the suit. "That would be mine." Kokichi snickered.  
"You are illiterate?" Korekiyo asked. Kaito was mildly surprised to see him here. He wasn't completely sold on the idea that Korekiyo was a guy...  
"No, Gonta can read. But letters float. Dance around." Gonta fluttered his fingers around to show what he meant. "Letters won't hold still for Gonta."  
"Dyslexic then." Korekiyo said. When no one else made any moves, he sighed and examined the suits, handing one to Gonta, before taking a second for himself.   
"Thank you! You are good friend!" Gonta said cheerfully. "But Gonta still not sure it fit..." the suits were all the same size except for Ryoma's. Kaito certainly had no idea how Gonta would fit into it.   
"They stretch out." Rantaro's voice floated out from a changing stall. He emerged dressed in the ash gray suit. "Kinda uncomfortable though. C'mere big guy. I'll help you out." Rantaro held the door to the stall open, and Gonta happily wandered in.   
"How did he ever get in here." Kokichi snarked. "I mean there's gotta be a brain cell requirement right? Then again, you're here Mr. Luminated Stars or whatevs."   
"That's Luminary of the Stars you little brat!" Kaito shouted as Kokichi entered his own stall. Kaito sighed, looking at the others behind him. Shuichi quickly looked down, and Korekiyo held his gaze before Kaito looked away. And Kiibo...he wasn't here?  
There were only seven suits. Maybe robots didn't need clothes? Wait that couldn't be right...  
"Um...Kaito?" Shuichi said nervously. Or maybe he just sounded that way. "You wanna go first? Or, um, I could. I-it's ok, I can wait."  
Before Kaito answered, Korekiyo moved past him, taking the stall for himself. Well, that solved that. He laughed, then stopped when he saw that Shuichi was still staring intently at the ground. "You don't have a lot of confidence, do you." Kaito said.  
Shuichi jumped at his words. "Um, no, I guess not. And I'm nervous. I didn't want to come, but, it's an honor and stuff, um..." the entire time, he kept his eyes firmly on the floor.   
"Hey, relax man. I'm not gonna jump you or anything." Kaito said. Nervous as he was, there was something charming about the detective. Kaito liked him. "You're one of the most normal people in this restroom. Us sane people have to stick together yeah?"  
"Wait, Gonta no, it's ok, you can leave your boxers on!" Rantaro's frantic voice came from the stall. Kaito laughed, and this time Shuichi smiled.   
"There ya go! See, you're gonna be fine. You just have to believe!"

The suit was tight. Very tight. Kaito felt like his skin was actively battling the material. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one that was struggling. Gonta was forced to waddle like a penguin, the suit stretched so tight that he was having difficulty moving. The suit was too big for Kokichi, who stumbled over the dragging pantlegs every few moments with curses. Korekiyo was apparently too thin for the suit, which hung off his frame awkwardly. He had his arms held close to his chest, Kaito wondered if that was a protective stance. Rantaro and Shuichi had been the lucky ones. Like Kaito, they were uncomfortable, but were able to bear it. Ryoma was the only one who had a perfect fit, but Kaito suspected that the little baby comment had rubbed him the wrong way.   
"Shit!" Kokichi yelped as he stumbled into Kaito. "Jeez! This is ridiculous! Stupid! Fucking! Suit!" he punctuated his words by shaking his leg, trying to untangle the pantlegs. "I feel like I'm wearing a trash bag!" he whined.   
"You must feel very at home then." Kaito said drily.   
To his surprise, Kokichi's eyes filled with tears. "Wh-what did you say? Th-th-that's so mean!"  
"Woah hey, hey I'm sorry!" Kaito said frantically. "Don't cry, jesus you're gonna make me look like a jerk! I'm sorry, can I make it up to you?"  
Instantly Kokichi resumed his normal smirk. "Ooh that would be nice! Hmmm...how about you act as my transport. Carry me, peasant!!"  
"You were faking??" Kaito asked, staring. Shuichi, who was walking next to him, seemed just as surprised. "You fucking brat! You get to walk." Kaito strode forward, ignoring Kokichi's laughing. Shuichi followed after him, but glancing back, Kaito could see Rantaro kneeling on the ground, and rolling up Kokichi's pant legs for him. "How did someone as nice as him survive in this hell hole of a world?"  
"You said it yourself." Shuichi said, still avoiding eye contact. "You have to believe."  
Kaito laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Damn right I did." 

After a few more minutes of walking, the group had reached the health check in. This was it. The moment Kaito had been dreading. If he could make it past this he'd finally be among the stars. If not...no he wasn't going to think about that.  
There was a see through dividing wall that cut through the middle of the hallway. An identical station could be seen on the other side. Kaito could see the girls lined up behind this second health station. Kaede caught his eye and waved.   
"Are you ok?" Shuichi suddenly asked. Kaito jumped.   
"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be" He laughed nervously. Shuichi eyed him. Kaito knew that he hadn't fooled him, but thankfully Shuichi wasn't the type to press him. As the line dwindled, first Rantaro (Gonta was too nervous to go first) then Gonta, then Ryoma, then Kokichi, Kaito felt his nerves worsening. Korekiyo and Shuichi were the only ones in front of him now. It was do or die time. Kaito didn't want to think about the literal implications of that statement...  
"Hey Shuichi." he finally said. When the shorter boy looked back at him, Kaito grinned. "How about when we get to the other side, you be my sidekick. It'll be totally epic! You can be the Luminary of the Stars' sidekick on his very first space voyage!"  
Shuichi stared at him. "What?" It was the first time Kaito had seen him hold eye contact.   
"Yeah! I need someone who can have my back. Rantaro's too busy helping everyone else, and everyone else is just weird. You're the best choice."  
"Only choice you mean." Shuichi said, looking down again.   
"Nope, there's Kaede." Kaito said, glancing over at the wall again. The blonde was talking to Tenko and Tsmugi.  
"Pick her then." Shuichi said, keeping his eyes on the ground. "She'd be better."  
"Are you seriously denying my offer?" Kaito asked in mock horror. "Has it occurred to you that I already considered her? I still pick you. Out of everyone here, even her, I want you to be my sidekick."  
Shuichi slowly looked back up at him. "Really? This isn't a joke? You're actually serious?"  
Kaito clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course! Our names are gonna go down in history! Besides, everyone needs someone to trust. So, you in sidekick?"  
A small smile spread across Shuichi's face. "Yeah, ok. I'd like that."  
Kaito held up his fist for a fist bump, which Shuichi awkwardly returned. However, the elation Kaito was feeling after obtaining his sidekick quickly faded as they reached the front of the line. Two people left-  
Korekiyo suddenly shifted to the side. "By all means, Shuichi, please go first."  
Caught off guard, Shuichi stepped forward wordlessly, leaving Kaito alone with Korekiyo for the time being.   
"What a beautiful heartfelt declaration." he mused. "I've heard only a few like it. But it's interesting. Do you know what they all have in common?" Korekiyo didn't wait for Kaito to answer. "They were delivered when their speakers feared their demises. When something they were hiding was in danger of being exposed." his voice was silky now. Kaito had the sickening feeling that he was enjoying this. "I hardly think that's a coincidence. So, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars. What are you hiding and how will your secret kill you?"  
Kaito felt his face go pale. "U-um, eavesdrop much?" he stammered, trying to recover.   
"You hardly speak quietly." Korekiyo responded, gold eyes drilling into Kaito. "How exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out."  
That was it. Before Kaito knew what he was doing, he had slammed Korekiyo against the transparent wall. "What the fuck's your deal? I'm not hiding anything dammit! Is this some sort of weird gay flirting tactic?"  
"Don't flatter yourself." Korekiyo said drily. "If I were fishing for a same sex romantic endeavor, you would hardly be my first choice."  
Kaito stared at him before struggling to continue. "Well, your loss. Not that I'm into that! Point is you're a fucking creep, and you don't know anything about me!"  
Korekiyo chuckled. "Now I do. You're like a caged animal. You're threatened. You're lashing out. You only confirmed my words."  
"Shut up! Just shut up! If you're not careful, I'll flush your creepy ass out of an airlock or something!" Kaito inwardly winced. Death threats were not a cool way to go. But his heart was pounding, and his nerves had to go somewhere. This was petty, but he doubted Korekiyo would tell anyone about this.  
"Bold of you to assume I'm afraid of death." the words were spoken with conviction. Kaito felt a chill go down his spine. Korekiyo had gone from weird and creepy, to ominous and scary. "Bold of you to assume I don't want it."  
"Dude." Kaito let go of him. "Are you ok?"  
"Well well, the self proclaimed playground bully has a heart." the words weren't threatening. Like everything else, it had been an observation.   
Kaito sighed and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I'm tense. I shouldn't have done that. I'm not a bully I swear. Just, fuck. Sorry."  
"Whatever for? Humans are emotional creatures. We scream, we cry, we scratch and bite and fight to express ourselves. Even in the ugliest most immoral ways, it is beautiful. Don't apologize."  
Kaito was at a loss for words. He'd threatened to kill Korekiyo and he was acting like Kaito had done him a great service. This conversation was going absolutely nowhere, but Kaito knew one thing. Korekiyo was far more intelligent than he'd thought.   
Before either of them could say anything else, a female scientist poked her head through the curtain separating the rest of the hall from the interior of the health check point. "We're ready for you both. We're running a little behind so we'll have to do you at the same time.   
Korekiyo met Kaito's eyes again, before stepping through the curtain. Kaito followed close behind. 

The interior of the health center was simple. Kaito was familiar with the machines that were used to analyze the samples taken from individuals. The entire point of this set up was to test for the Plague. Kaito had taken the test only once before, and the results had changed everything.   
The scientist held out two small cases. "I assume you know the drill. Mouth swab, nasal swab, finger prick. I can do whoever's ready first."  
"I can do it myself." Korekiyo said, picking up one of the cases and retreating to a back corner of the room. Kaito felt like a trapped rabbit. "I can do it too." he quickly snatched the case and hurried after Korekiyo. Kaito couldn't exactly remember how to do the test and he had been hoping to watch Korekiyo. However, the anthropologist turned his back on him.   
"Hey, um, can I watch?" Kaito cringed. That sounded creepy.   
"No." the answer was simple but it was not the one Kaito needed. "Surely you know how to do this. As an Ultimate you've surely done it many times." A moment later, Korekiyo turned back around, carefully adjusting his mask.   
"Why do you wear that?" Kaito asked, partially out of curiosity, partially out of the need to buy time.   
"That is none of your business. Draw the blood from your finger. That is their preference. Place a drop on the slide and cover it with the thin square of glass. I have confidence you can figure out how the swabs work." that was all Kaito got before Korekiyo left the corner.   
He carried out the tests as slow as possible, hoping for the impossible. No amount of believing could change what his cells would undoubtedly tell. He walked slowly to the scientist. This was it. All or nothi-  
He was slammed into from the side. Caught off guard, Kaito stumbled to the side, dropping his tests.   
"Oh my apologies. I can be so clumsy." Korekiyo said, holding out Kaito's tests to him. "Please, go before me. I wish to make it up to you."  
Kaito stared at him. "Um, you're good." Korekiyo clearly wasn't moving so Kaito stepped forward, offering up his tests to the scientist. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Korekiyo drop to the ground and adjust his boot. God, the guy was weird.   
All too soon, the machine beeped. Kaito closed his eyes.   
"Negative. You're good to go."  
Kaito stared at the woman. He peeked at the screen, wondering if he'd gone colorblind. The word clear in green script flashed across the screen.   
"I said you're good to go. We're already running late." the woman said.   
"Right, sorry." Kaito said, hurrying through. The last thing he heard before exiting the health tent was Korekiyo stating that he actually wasn't sure how to perform the tests, requesting a new test kit. Maybe Kaito wasn't the only one stalling. 

"Hey! Kaito! Over here!" Kaede called, waving him over to the group. Shuichi, Rantaro, Gonta and Tsmugi looked over at him as he hurried over. "Are you ok? You look a little pale."  
"I've never been better in my life." Kaito said, grinning. "How are you guys?"  
"Plain uncomfortable." Tsmugi said, tugging at her suit. "These measurements are atrocious! I plan to make some adjustments as soon as I can. Oh, you poor thing! It's too tight for you too! Don't worry, I'll fix that too."  
"That would be awesome." Kaito said. "You can do that?"  
"Yeah! They said that our ship would be equipped with things relating to our talents. It's not cosplay, but I'm sure I could make these a little more comfortable, a little stylish maybe..." Tsmugi trailed off, eyes glazing over as she got lost in thought.  
"She does that a lot." Kaede said. "But I wonder what they mean by equipping things for our talents. I know it's ridiculous, but a piano on a spaceship..." Kaito noted the way her eyes lit up.   
"And lots and lots of bugs on ship!" Gonta chimed in.   
"Oh god, I hope not." Kokichi said, stepping into their group. "And I gotta ask, what the hell are you even good for? A pianist in space?"  
Kaede flushed. "Well, I'm not sure it has to do with my talent. I think it's because I'm a team player. Honestly, I don't know why I'm here either."  
"I can answer that for you. I've been programmed with everyone's files, including why they were selected for the mission. My storage capabilities are top notch." Kiibo said as he walked over to them.   
"So you know everything about us? Creepy." Kokichi said. "Machines pretending to be humans makes me uncomfortable."  
"Th-that's robophobic!" Kiibo protested.   
"Yeah, we want to hear." Kaede said quickly, keeping the peace.   
"Ok! You're right, Kaede's personality makes her essential for keeping a team together. There weren't any Ultimates with a talent like that, so they looked into personalities and Kaede fit." Kiibo said. "Rantaro is used to traveling through dangerous situations and has valuable skills. Tsmugi can make herself look like anyone, which could be used for infiltration."  
"What!" Tsmugi instantly snapped back to reality. "I can't! Cosplay isn't a disguise! Cosplay is a physical manifestation of my love for works of fiction! I put my heart and soul into my cosplays! My literal blood, sweat, and tears! They can't degrade it to basic disguises!" Kaito could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes.   
Kaede patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. You probably won't have to. You can do other things, like making these uniforms super cute!"  
Tsmugi cheered up a little. "Yeah, I can!"  
Kiibo waited a moment before continuing. "Gonta has unmatched knowledge of insects. I'm sure you have heard the rumors of the aliens being insect like. Well, that's true, and Gonta's knowledge may help us understand their biology."  
"Wait, bugs not take over world. Bugs are nice. Bugs more scared of us then we scared of bugs. Bugs not evil." Gonta said. Now he looked sad. "Gonta no can fight bugs."   
"This team is a disaster." Kokichi sighed.   
"Wait, hold on. I don't get it." Kiibo said. "Why aren't you happy to use your talents like this? Don't you want this?"  
"No, not really." Tsmugi said. "They didn't give us a choice."   
"What? The people who run this organization would never! They are fair and just. They funded the man who built me. Surely you must be confused." Kiibo recited this like he had been programmed to, which Kaito guessed was a literal theory.   
"Oh." Tsmugi said. "Well I'm sure you're right." she leaned over to Kaede and whispered "He doesn't want to go against project YoRHa."   
"Enough about that! What about me?" Kokichi asked. "These bastards really must have wanted me. I'm not easy to find."  
"Despite no one being sure what your actual talent is, you display highly refined leadership and strategizing abilities. If someone were to go head to head with an alien commander, our best bet would be you."  
"That's awesome!" Kokichi exclaimed. "Hey, I should be the leader of this team!"   
"God no." Kaito groaned. "I'd rather have Gonta be our pilot. No offense big guy."   
"Hey! Fuckwads! We're moving!" Miu yelled back at them. Kaito looked up to see the group slowly shuffling into yet another hallway. Was this place built like a maze or something? There was no point wondering. Kaito knew that before long he wouldn't be in the facility. He wouldn't even be on this planet. 

"Disappointing." Kokichi grumbled, slouching into a chair. The group was now in what appeared to be a small movie theater like room. Kaito couldn't help feeling disappointed either. He was more than ready to get to a damn space ship already!   
The massive screen flickered on, the words "Be seated" showing. Kaito sighed and obeyed. Kaede and Shuichi sat on either side of him. Once everyone was seated the lights began to dim. Kaito watched as the screen switched to a recording of the woman from earlier.   
"Welcome to your final briefing. Given the nature and time frame of our goals, it is easiest to brief you in video form. Listen closely. This information will not be repeated."  
"Would you cut to the fucking chase already!" Kokichi blurted. If Kaito had something to throw, he'd chuck it right at Kokichi's head.   
The image switched again to a grainy recording. It was one that Kaito knew well. The first footage of the Invasion. The woman's voice played over the video. "You are all familiar with the Invasion. It is common public knowledge that an alien species occupied Earth space, spent a short observation period, sent scouts, and finally began to retrieve human samples." Kaito noticed Rantaro grimacing.   
"However, what we are about to show you now is not public knowledge." the screen changed to an image of a massive ship. Kaito knew instantly that it was alien. There was no way in hell humans could build something as advanced as that. It was terrible, awe-inspiring, it put the fear of god into you-  
"Looks like mushroom." Gonta said. He was right. The ship did resemble a mushroom with a short stock and a wide top. A biiiiiig mushroom.   
"This is the Imperial ship. The largest ship of any we have seen. It hosts the majority of the alien forces and minor ships. Contrary to popular opinion, this is not the entire population. We have deemed this a research vessel. It has only minor weaponry, most of which is defensive. Overall, it is a small piece of the whole threat."  
"This just keeps getting better and better." Kokichi sighed.   
"The aliens keep close contact with their homeworld. We have intercepted signals, although translation is still beyond us. In addition, we have seen smaller ships launched from the Imperial heading for deep space. It is assumed that they travel back and forth between the Imperial and the Homeworld. You will need to infiltrate the Imperial, search it for information, then return to your own ship to tail a transport shuttle to the Homeworld."  
"Better and better I say!"  
The screen switched to an image of a pale, emaciated man. His eyes were glazed, blood pouring down his chest. The photo had been taken as he retched. "This is a photo of the fourth stage of the virus known as the Plague. The alien species seem to be natural carriers of this virus. It may be as simple as a common cold to them, but it is always fatal in humans. Finding a cure is top priority, hence the need to search the Imperial." the screen switched again to an image of a massive humanoid insect.   
"Bug!" Gonta cried, then frowned. "But not bug."  
"Behold our oppressors. An insect-like race of humanoids. Their biology is unknown to us. Images are hard to obtain, and our knowledge of them is scarce. Details pertaining to language, culture, biological makeup and any available facts about them are first priority."  
"No fucking pressure huh." Kokichi sighed. Kaito glared at him. "Shut up!"  
The screen changed again to a quadruped...monster. That was the only thing Kaito could think of it as. It resembled a bug as well, but weaponized. It was about the size of a tank with spiny protrusions all over its body. Massive mandibles took up its head. "Behold a scuttler. A biological weapon. A deadly combination of life and machinery. These creatures seem to have unlocked the key to combining dna with machines."  
"Robeasts." Tsmugi said softly. Kaito had no idea what she was talking about.   
"Documentation of weapons is first priority. However, you are not to directly engage. You are our scouts. Our first step to taking back our freedom." the image switched back to the woman. "You planet depends on you. You will now make your way to your ship and prepare for launch." the screen darkened and the lights flickered back on.  
"Wait!" Tenko spluttered. "That only makes more questions! Details! We need details! All that did was give us an overview and show me scary space crap!"  
"Perhaps that is all they can give us. We are going into the unknown after all. We are the ones discovering the details. How exciting!" Angie cheered. "Do not worry. Atua will watch over us. He will protect us, unless it is his nap time. Then we are on our own."  
Kaito did not find that reassuring.   
There wasn't a single person (aside from Angie) who didn't look pale, worried or concerned. Even Rantaro's calm demeanor had shifted slightly. The reality was setting in, and the adrenaline from passing the health check was wearing off. They were going in blind.  
"We can do this." Kaede's voice shattered the silence. Everyone turned to her. "I know we can do this. Yeah, it's scary. I'm terrified. But we have to. We have a chance to save everyone. We're going to take it. I know everyone here has what we need to succeed. If we can work together, there isn't anything we can't do. I know I don't sound very reassuring, I'm shaking right now." Kaede laughed nervously. "But I believe in us. We were all chosen for a reason. I know we can do this. We're going to save everyone." Although her voice was shaky, it slowly steeled with determination.   
"Yeah." Kaito joined in. "We gotta believe. I believe in all of you. I believe in all of us. We're gonna kick some serious space ass!"   
"Well, that's good enough for me." Kokichi jumped to his feet. "I call shotgun! Or whatever spaceships have. The best seat is mine. Dibs!" he sauntered out of the back door of the room. Kaito and Kaede exchanged a look, then smiled as the rest of the group followed. Kaito was about to exit the room as well, when he felt a tug on his sleeve.  
"Down here." Ryoma said. Kaito saw that he had kept his hat. "Look, I admire what you said, but you shouldn't believe in me. Don't waste your faith on a shell of a person. I'll do whatever's asked of me, but don't expect me to be part of the dream team and sing kumbaya." he sighed heavily. "It's better this way. But believe in someone else. I've lived my life. Focus on keeping yours." Before Kaito could say anything, he had walked away.   
"Did he seriously just say he doesn't give a shit if he dies?" Kaito asked Kaede. She shrugged, equally concerned.   
"Guys!" Tsmugi's voice echoed back to them. "You have to see this!"   
Kaito and Kaede hurried through the door and into the sunny outdoors. They were in a wide, open launch pad. Kaito turned in the direction everyone else was facing.   
And he almost cried from the sheer beauty.


	3. Launch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is everything I've written for this so far. I'm gonna add more though...I think...

Scratch that. He did cry. How could he not? For the first time in his life, the Luminary of the Stars was faced with an honest to god spaceship. It was beautiful...  
Kokichi stared at him. "Are you crying?"  
"No, of course not." Kaito quickly wiped his eyes. Kaede smiled at him like he was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.   
"It's really big. And here I thought it would be a plain old space ship." Tsmugi said.   
"Plain? That's a stealth-class Newton. All the newer ships are named after old scientists, this one's a Newton because it handles any and all types of gravity really well. It's a stealth class because it's stealthy. It's also good for long range travel, there's living space inside, plus it does have some pretty decent weapons and a navigation system that's only second to research and exploration class-" Kaito noticed everyone was staring at him. "Oh, uh, I've been a huge nerd about these things ever since I was three. I memorized them all. Interior, exterior, systems, weaponry, everything. Who's the idiot now huh!?"  
"Still you." Kokichi said. "But you mentioned living space right? I'd better get my own room. If not I call top bunk."  
"Don't worry. There is enough space for all of us to room alone, along with some additional space for work areas. Those are for those with talents that benefit the mission." Kiibo said. "Um, sorry, but a large area of this specific ship has been remodeled to suit my needs. I don't think it'll make anything feel cramped at all, but if it does I can try to move things..."  
"I'm sure it'll be fine." Kaede said. "I don't suppose they could fit a piano on there, could they?"  
"I mean they probably could." Kaito said, shrugging. "They could probably fit like, twenty pianos. And the rest of the orchestra. Are pianos even part of an orchestra?"  
Before that particular question could be answered, the woman and her companions strode out of the door and walked in front of Kaito and the others. "We are pleased you seem happy with your transport. We will begin boarding now, as our time grows short."  
"What's with the rushing? I'm sure the world can suffer unbearably for like, at least a few more hours." Kokichi shrugged.   
"Yeah, moving this fast is a pain." Himiko sighed.   
"Himiko don't agree with him!" Tenko cried.   
The woman seemed unphased by the discussion. "Our goal is to have you complete your research of the Imperial in three days time, when the most current abduction is complete. That way it will be easier to tail a shuttle back to the homeworld. If we miss this opportunity, we will have to wait for the next one.   
"Can't we go before the next abduction? Or try to stop it?" Rantaro asked. "At the very least, can we retrieve the ones that get taken?"  
"No. As previously mentioned, those abducted are not our concern. You are to leave them be, no matter what state they are in. Those who are taken are lost to us, and we do not have resources to waste on them."  
Again, Kaito saw Rantaro stiffen. If he had Kaito's temper, Kaito was certain Rantaro would attack the woman. However, Rantaro had proven himself to have the temperament Kaito's grandparents only dreamed of. He stayed where he was, teeth clenched, but he remained still nonetheless.   
The woman seemed satisfied by this. "By this time everything should be loaded. You will now begin boarding. You will enter orbit then await further instructions." She and her companions turned and filed back indoors.   
"Wait! How the heck are we supposed to fly this thing!" Tenko yelled.   
Kaito stepped forward. It would be perfect if a breeze blew by, but there was nothing. The few trees stood still. Nevertheless, Kaito held his head high. "This is my moment." The group stared at him. Kaito sighed. "I mean I can fly it.   
"Then just say that." Kokichi said. "Don't imitate a Disney princess or whatever you were doing."  
Yes, strangling someone wasn't illegal in space. Kaito was fairly sure of it. 

"That was way too many fucking stairs" Miu wheezed as she finally pulled herself into the spaceship. "Seriously, do you know how hard cardio is with these melons?"  
"No." Himiko said. Kaito could of sworn she almost sounded bitter.   
"Gonta happy to carry you next time we see stairs." Gonta said. Kaito was pretty sure he was indestructible. He had been too tall for the door and had whacked his head on several feet of the thickest metal known to mankind. But Gonta hadn't even flinched. He merely apologized to the doorway and crouched down to walk inside.  
"Oooh, I'm sure you all would want to get close enough to touch me." Miu smirked.   
"Gross, I don't want crabs." Kokichi said, walking past her, making an obvious show to avoid touching her. "Woah, look at this!"  
The door lead into the cockpit. It was lined with at least twenty chairs, two of which were situated in front of a dashboard.   
"Alright sidekick, let's get this party started." Kaito said, pulling Shuichi over to the front two chairs.   
"W-wait, I can't, I can't fly a spaceship Kaito!"  
"Don't worry! I'm gonna be the one flying it. You just yell at me if I'm about to hit something." Kaito said, grinning. All he could see out of the massive window now was the buildings of Towa City, but soon he would be among the stars. "Alright guys, buckle up. Except Newton classes don't have seatbelts, they have harnesses that adjust to g-forces and pressure so our organs don't turn to jelly."  
"Ew." Tenko said, sitting next to Himiko and Angie. Kokichi made a point to sit directly behind Kaito. It seemed that back seat piloting would be an issue. The only other people Kaito could directly see were Rantaro and Kaede, who were seated a little off to his left and right.   
"Ok, I can't see all of you, so if you need me to adjust any controls on your seats, just yell at me. This first take off is gonna be rough since the systems aren't tuned to our weights and sensitivities yet. I've done literally all the training sims for this, so I don't get space sick any more, but I won't judge any of you guys if you do."  
"Space sick? Please." Miu said, rolling her eyes. She had chosen a seat next to the weapon dashboard. One of the biggest flaws of the Newton class was that it required an additional person to man the weaponry, and Kaito had no idea if Miu was the best possible or worst possible choice.   
Kaito chuckled. "You say that now, but trust me. At least half of you are gonna wish you were dead when we get up there. Don't worry though, I can sing some relaxing whale songs." Kaito cleared his throat and made a noise like a dying rat.   
"Please, never do that again." Kokichi groaned, putting his hands over his ears. Kaede giggled and Shuichi even smiled.   
"Just relax, ok guys? I'm not gonna let anything happen to us." Kaito said, leaning back in his chair. Suddenly a speaker clicked on at top volume, demanding to know Kaito's status. He jerked back in surprise, knocking a lever and making the ship jolt.   
"My hero." Kokichi said drily. Kaito really wanted to throw something, but he occupied himself by turning down the speaker volume.   
"Newton-47. What is your status." the voice repeated. Kaito could tell that it was the same woman.   
"We're all set here. You can skip the tutorial on how to get this baby off the ground. I've been flying military class jets for six months now. Just get me up there."   
"Affirmative. You are clear for launch in t-minus ninety seconds."  
"Say goodbye to everything you've ever known!" Angie said brightly. Himiko sniffled. Gonta looked cheerily out the window and waved goodbye.   
"Sixty seconds"  
"You ready sidekick?" Kaito asked. Shuchi looked pale, but he nodded, keeping his eyes on the window. He looked like he was taking everything in for the last time.   
"Thirty seconds."  
"Crap, I need to pee." Miu groaned. "Are there bathrooms on this thing?"  
"You should have gone before we left!" Kiibo exclaimed  
"Well I didn't have to then!"  
"Fifteen seconds."  
Kaito slowly pushed a lever, feeling the engine warm. In a few short seconds, HQ would release the docking constraints and Kaito could lift off...  
"Ten seconds."  
"Think I can mail my will out from space?" Ryoma asked? "Though it's not like I have anything, or anyone to leave it to..."  
"Five seconds."  
Kaede gave him a nervous smile. Rantaro took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."  
"Three seconds."  
Kaito positioned his hands like he had a million times in the simulators  
"Two seconds."  
He was ready for this. He was made for this.  
"One second."  
This was it. This was for real this time.   
"You are clear for liftoff."  
Kaito jerked the lever, reaching for buttons and dials. "Hold on to your asses!" The ship slowly lifted off the ground.   
"That's it?" Kaito heard Kokichi ask. Then he hit the thrusters. 

The ship shot forward at a higher speed than anything Kaito had felt before. He heard a collective gasp as he and the others were slammed back into their seats. Kaito could feel his harness adjusting and readjusting for comfort.   
"Wheee!" Gonta cheered.   
"Ok, this is fine." Kokichi said. Kaito was pleased to hear the nerves in his voice. "Everything's fine..."  
"Hell yeah it is!" Kaito cheered. "How are you guys doing? Ready for the ascent?"  
"A-aren't we ascending already?" Tsmugi called nervously.   
"Nope! Now it's time for the fun stuff. We're about to break through this atmosphere like...a spaceship breaking through the atmosphere!"  
"Good one." Kokichi deadpanned.   
For once, Kaito didn't feel annoyed. He was in control now, and he'd have his revenge in three...two...one...  
The group collectively yelped as Kaito sharply turned the ship upward and increased the speed. "Hold on to your asses! Here comes the rough part!" As soon as he'd said the words, the ship began to rattle, shaking it's occupants.   
"A-a-are w-we g-gonna d-d-die?" Kaede asked nervously.  
"Nah, w-were g-good." Kaito said. Slowly, he felt the shaking fade as the interior of the ship compensated for the force. "See? This baby'll take good care of us. Trust me, this is gonna be the most uncomfortable ride we have. The chairs are already doing their work for you." Kaito turned his attention to a row of lights on the dashboard above him. They were the controls for the chair's functions.   
Kaito got an idea. Slowly he reached forward and pushed one of the buttons, turning off Kokichi's chair.   
"W-woah hey, I thi-think m-m-ine's broken!" he yelped. Kaito grinned evily, but then smiled sheepishly as he caught Rantaro's eye. The adventurer had raised an eyebrow, but he had an amused smile accompanying it.   
Kaito sighed. "Rule number one, sass off to the pilot and I make your life miserable." He reached forward and pressed the button again. Hopefully his revenge had been achieved.   
"Hey! That was you?!" Kokichi yelled. Before he could continue, the crew members were shoved against their seats.   
"N-now are we dying?" Tsmugi asked.  
Kaito shook his head. "No, this is the worst part. Try to breath regularly and sit up straight. It'll be over in a minute. It might start hurting but you gotta stay up straight. Otherwise your lungs and spine can get screwed up."  
"No pressure huh..." Tsmugi said, then yelped. "Ow, it feels like someone's slowly squishing me with a weight!"  
"That's normal." Kaito said. "Humans aren't meant to go this fast or be this high up. Without the ship we'd be splatters. Again, it hasn't fully calculated how to protect us so while we're not really in danger, it might hurt."  
"Might hurt?! I can't breathe!" Miu said. "And my chest hurts!"  
Kaito gritted his teeth. He hadn't thought of that. He was fine because he'd experienced this in simulations, but none of the others had ever been exposed to anything like this. What had their overseers been thinking? Launching fifteen people into space with no training? Kaito could feel his worry growing with every passing second. He'd heard all of the horror stories. Crews being reduced to half their size as some died during the ascent, pilots blacking out before exiting the atmosphere, resulting in the ship spiraling out of control, the pilot making it out alone, the sole surviving member, left to think about how he'd lost his entire crew...  
No, that wasn't going to happen. Kaito jerked a level forward, increasing the speed. "Hang on, it'll be over soon!" It was a risky move, the effects would increase, but the amount of time would shorten. If they could just hold on a little longer...  
"Are you trying to kill us!" Kokichi yelled. Kaito ignored him.   
"I think Tenko just passed out!" he heard Angie yell. He ignored her too. Unconscious wasn't dead. They were almost there...  
"Kaito!" Shuichi yelled. "I can't do this!"  
This time Kaito turned to him. "If you ever say that again, I will turn this fucking spaceship around and go-" the ship jolted harshly, and smoothed out. Kaito felt the tension fade away. That meant...  
The window displayed stars. Nothing but stars. Space was so bright. It was glowing with millions and billions of stars. It was the most beautiful thing Kaito had ever seen.  
"Are we there yet?" Kaede asked in a small voice. That jolted Kaito back to earth. (figuratively. Now that he was in space, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to go back.) He unbuckled his harness and jumped up. "Is everyone ok? Give me your status."  
"I feel like a pancake." Kokichi groaned. He was slumping forward in his harness.   
"What does that even mean!" Kaito cried. "Do you feel nauseous? Any pain? Dizzy? Can you move?"  
"Sick. Dizzy." Kokichi said, eyes shut tight. Kaito pushed him back in his seat, holding him up straight for a moment.   
"Mild space sickness. It'll pass. Don't fold forward though, you'll only feel worse. Can you hold yourself up?" Kokichi nodded and Kaito turned his attention to the rest of the crew. Rantaro seemed fine. He was already on his feet and was holding Miu up as Kaito had held up Kokichi. He gave Kaito a thumbs up. That was four out of sixteen that were ok.   
"Tenko is dead!" Angie yelled. Kaito felt his blood run cold. He ran back to the aikido master. Tenko was slumped back in her seat, eyes closed, mouth open slightly. Kaito pressed his fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse. Thankfully he felt it, steady and strong.   
"She's ok." he said, exhaling. "She just got knocked out by the pressure." Kaito poked her cheek, said a silent prayer to whoever was listening for his survival, and slapped Tenko across the face. Almost instantly, Kaito was treated to a firm kick to his stomach, which doubled him over.   
"DEGENERATE MALE!" Tenko shrieked, before wincing. "Oww. Everything hurts."   
"If you feel dizzy again...tell me." Kaito said weakly. Strong arms yanked him to his feet. To his surprise, it was Maki who looked just as fine as Rantaro.   
"I'll watch her. Check on the others."   
Kaito nodded, mildly terrified at the fact that a girl had managed to lift him up. Damn, she was strong! But he couldn't focus on that right then.   
Angie had unbuckled her harness and got to her feet, only to stumble to the side with a squeal. Kaito grabbed her before she slammed to the ground.   
"My my, everything's so strange up here. Atua is even confused." she said groggily. Kaito set her back in her seat, buckling her harness just in case. Once he was certain she couldn't get anywhere, he turned his attention to the last four seats. Gonta caught his eye, but didn't move. The reason why quickly became clear. "G-Gonta can't move..."  
Shit. Pressure paralysis. That was the name other trainees had given to the phenomena. That was essentially what it was. The nerves were shot, rendering the victim immobile. It was temporary, unless the victim didn't start moving.   
"It's ok." Kaito said. "It'll be ok."  
"He's not the only one." Ryoma said weakly. Kaito grimaced as he scanned the entire row. It seemed Gonta, Ryoma, Himiko and Korekiyo were all affected.   
"Shit, ok, Gonta sit tight. I don't think I can move you on my own." He hit the release on Ryoma's harness, grabbing him by the shoulder to keep him from toppling to the ground. "Can you feel my hand?"  
"No." Ryoma said. For the first time, he looked shaken. "This is weird. It's not permanent is it?"   
"No, it's not." Kaito said, slowly moving Ryoma's arms. "How about this?"  
"No-SHIT!" Ryoma yelled jerking away, before cursing again. "Now I feel everything."  
"That's good." Kaito said. "Your nerves are waking up. It's gonna hurt for a few minutes but you gotta try walking around for me." Ryoma nodded and slowly made his way around the ship with a determination that Kaito was awestruck by.   
He had walked back to Gonta who said "Help friends first." That was just as well, as Kaito still had no idea what to do with him. He slowly shifted Himiko out of her seat, hooking his arms under her's-  
A sharp blow to his back almost sent him falling forward. "Don't touch Himiko!" Tenko yelled. The color in her face had returned, and so had her temper. She snatched Himiko from Kaito and glared at him before saying "Um, what do I do?"  
"Start moving her." Kaito said, wincing. He was now going to have a violent bruise on his back. "It's gonna hurt when her feeling comes back but that's a good thing. Get her to walk around." Shit, was this what being a captain was like? There were so many people to help.   
"Don't touch me." Was the only thing Korekiyo said when Kaito approached him.   
"Sorry, personal boundaries are gonna be violated in space." Kaito said, yanking him to his feet. This time Kaito almost stumbled backwards. The anthropologist was light, much thinner than Kaito thought he'd be. Korekiyo looked uncomfortable, and if he had the strength to shy away into a corner, Kaito had a feeling he would.   
A high pitched squeak came from his right, and Kaito saw Himiko standing on her own, wincing. "It's a pain, it's literally a pain."  
One more crew member was recovering good. Korekiyo suddenly jerked back with a hiss of pain, stumbling slightly, but catching himself. Kaito almost didn't want to leave him, but he was fairly certain he'd deny all other help.   
That left Gonta. "Go help other friends." he protested again. Kaito could have slammed his head on the wall. Shit. Shuichi and Kaede.   
He turned back to see Kirumi carefully attending to Kaede, Shuichi, Kokichi and Tsmugi, who had given into the sick part of space sick. Kaito winced in sympathy. Kirumi gave him a curt nod when he met her eyes. Rantaro and Miu were standing over Kiibo. Kaito wasn't sure what he could do for the robot. Maki was helping Angie take a few shaky steps, while Tenko and Himiko followed behind her. Ryoma was still marching around the room, and Korekiyo was leaning against a corner. Ok, so far so good.   
"Nope, it's just you now." Kaito said, brain storming ways on how to handle this. "Ok, I'm just gonna..." he released Gonta's harness, which quickly proved to be a mistake. Gonta nearly flattened Kaito as the astronaut struggled to hold him up. "Ok, did not think that through" Kaito grunted.   
Miraculously, Kaito felt the weight lighten slightly as Maki and Tenko assisted him. The three of them combined were able to hold Gonta up, just barely.   
"Gonta sorry." Gonta said, looking genuinely apologetic.   
"Don't mention it. We're all in this together." Kaito said, carefully rotating one of Gonta's arms. The guy was ripped. It was amazing he wasn't the Ultimate Tank or something.   
Finally, Gonta was standing on his own, gritting his teeth through the pain of his nerves firing. Everyone seemed to be ok at the very least. A little sore and dizzy yes, but they were all alive with no life threatening conditions.   
"Do you have any other requests?" Kirumi asked. "I apologize, you never verbally issued one, but I guessed you needed assistance in aiding the others." she stood formally at attention, like a soldier.   
"Make sure everyone keeps recovering." Kaito said. "Have them move around carefully, maybe have some water if they can stomach it. I gotta go check the UV scopes." With that he moved around Kirumi and through the sliding door at the back of the cockpit. Kaito had guessed that this would lead to the rest of the ship, and he had been right.   
But he wasn't here to sight see.  
Kaito was glad that Kirumi's knowledge didn't seem to extend to space travel, or she would have seen through his lie. Lying definitely hadn't felt good, especially after meeting Kokichi. It had been necessary though. Thankfully Kaito's guess where the lavatories were was correct, because he was now faced with a small bathroom.   
As he slid the door shut, he could feel the slight change in his steps. The artificial gravity was good, but it wasn't perfect. He most certainly wasn't on Earth any more.   
In all of his fantasies, Kaito spent his first few moments in space staring out the windows, taking it all in. Relaxing as all of his hard work finally paid off. This reality was far from that dream. Instead he was in a tiny bathroom, waiting for the worst to begin.   
And it did. The coughing started slowly, then picked up until the harsh hacking was almost enough to tear Kaito apart. Then came the blood, flowing forth like an erratic waterfall. It was more than usual, but Kaito had been expecting that. He was just relieved that he training had worked.   
He'd spent hours in the simulators teaching himself to hold back the coughing. If he broke down during the launch, it would have been all over. Slowly he began to last longer before collapsing into his episodes. He was at the point where he could last fifteen minutes after being exposed to that kind of strain, before caving. It had only been twelve minutes, but Kaito was relieved he'd gotten that close to the estimated time.  
He knew the resulting episode would be worse than usual. He was in space after all, but that didn't make the experience any less terrible. His insides felt like they were on fire, the blood hot and burning in his mouth. Finally the hacking returned to coughs, and the coughing reduced to shaky breathing. Kaito stood hunched over the sink, sweating and shaking. His blood painted the sink and a little of the counter around him. It had hurt. It had hurt worse than it ever had. He wasn't certain that being in space would shorten his time, but now he was beginning to wonder.   
Slowly the burning, stabbing pain receded into a dull ache Kaito knew would linger for at least a few hours. He shakily stood, trying his best to wipe away his blood and wash it down the sink. He had to move slower than he would have liked. His hands were uncertain, clumsy as he fumbled around. Finally, finally he started to feel like more of himself had come back. He took a few practice steps, stood up straight, and checked his reflection. After fixing his hair, wiping his face and trying on a few smiles, Kaito unlocked the bathroom and made his way back to the cockpit.   
He'd be damned if he didn't get to enjoy space at least a little. Sure, the first few moments were agony, but the Luminary of the Stars wouldn't let a little Plague get in the way of his destiny.


	4. Down Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd I'm back! Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. It means the world to me. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Kaito returned to the cockpit, only to be greeted by a loud, blaring alarm. Kokichi stood by the control panel, arms behind his back, looking undeniably guilty. "I accidentally did a thing."  
"Congratulations Kokichi, you single handedly fucked over the mission." Miu said, throwing her hands up. "Let's all go home now."  
"Atua thinks it is not a good idea to send untrained minors into space, but he thinks it will be fun anyways." Angie spoke up, clasping her hands.   
"Great, good to know." Kaito said, tapping a few buttons. The alarm shut off and the crew sighed in relief. "That's the button that makes a really really loud noise."  
"You're kidding right?" Kokichi said.   
"No, if the pilot was dying or had an issue or whatever, he'd hit the button to alert the rest of the crew. The other alarms are way louder and way more annoying."  
"So, now what?" Tsmugi asked. "We're in space. Yay I guess?"  
"Oh no no. Hell no." Kaito said. "Get your asses over here. I'm taking down the screens."  
"I knew it. It's all a simulation." Kokichi said with mock enthusiasm. "One more time for us idiots please, what the heck are the screens?"  
"Space is distracting. The screens are digitized to make it easier to navigate and focus. So yeah, it looks like a desktop right now, but when I take it down..." Kaito hit a few more buttons and the group gasped.

The wide expanse of space in all it's glory was before them. Kaito had been completely taken by the minimal view before, but now he had to remind himself to breathe. He was in awe. This was what he had been waiting for all his life.   
"It's beautiful." Rantaro said softly, stretching his fingers out like he was trying to touch the stars before him. "Makes everything else I've seen seem small."  
"Humans are very small and insignificant compared to the scale of the universe." Kiyo mused. "Think of how many other races could be out there. Our entire species could die, and everything here would remain unchanged."  
"That's terrifying." Tenko shuddered. "It's pretty but I don't wanna die up here."  
"It reminds me of slower pieces." Kaede said. "Dramatic and beautiful, yet everlasting."  
"Great. Now space has a soundtrack. Cool." Kokichi said, breaking the stupor. "So, anyone else wanna check out our digs? Also, what does one have to do if he has to pee in space. I'm asking for a friend."  
Kaito rolled his eyes. "I saw a bathroom earlier. Come on, let's see this shit."

Kokichi demanded that everyone wait for him while he used the bathroom. Kaito only waited out of nervousness. What if he hadn't gotten all the blood-  
"That has got to be the cleanest bathroom I have ever seen." Kokichi said. Kaito sighed in relief. His grandmother would be proud.   
Bathroom aside, the rest of the ship was just as impressive. A massive lounge area sat in the middle of the circular two story area. Sixteen individual rooms lined the two stories. On the lower floor, there was another hallway. Kaito was interested to see the rest, but everyone else was happy looking at the rooms.   
"Dammit, I wanted a window." Kokichi whined.   
Gonta emerged from his room with a pillow and a big smile. "Gonta has discovered Space Pillow!"  
"Actually, I think the pillows are from Earth...nevermind." Tsmugi trailed off, seeing how happy Gonta was.  
"Hey." Rantaro nudged Kaito with his shoulder. "I need to talk to you."  
"Yeah sure. Shuichi! You're in charge!" Kaito said, clapping Shuichi on the shoulder.   
"M-me? Why! I can't-"  
"Yes you can! And fine, if it makes you feel better, Kaede is assistant leader." With that Kaito stepped through the doors of his room. 

"Looks just like mine." Rantaro said, sliding the door closed behind him. "Guess they all look the same huh?"  
"Maybe." Kaito said. "So did you need something?"  
"Yeah." Rantaro looked at Kaito. There was something different in his eyes now, the same look he got when being told to leave any abductees. "I'm guessing you're the leader from the way things are shaping out, so I'm gonna tell you right now. I respect your authority, I respect you and I'll follow most of your orders."  
"Most." Kaito said. "What's the exception?"  
"If we come across any captives you can bet I'll be doing everything I can to free them." Rantaro said calmly. "You can try to stop me, but you won't get too far." It wasn't a threat, but Kaito got the message.  
"Yeah, I get it. I'm not cool with those orders either. But what can we do for them? They're strangers-"  
"You don't get it." Rantaro said sharply. "They're strangers to us, but they're not to other people. Somewhere out there someone is mourning the loss of their loved one. They could still be out there. If it was someone you cared about, wouldn't you risk anything to get them back?"  
"Yeah, but-"  
"Then you'll let me try to help them." Rantaro said. His shoulders relaxed. "Sorry, I didn't meant to get intense on you."  
"Hey, it's ok. Today's been crazy." Kaito said. "And seriously, I get it. Maybe not all of it, but as your leader I'm gonna do my best to understand and support you."   
Rantaro nodded. "Thank you." the intense look faded, and the calm, friendly demeanor returned. "Jeez, I feel like I made it awkward."  
"No, you didn't." Kaito said. "Do I sound professional and leader-y?"  
"Yeah, sounds like something right out of a movie." Rantaro nodded.   
"Sweet!" Kaito did several fist pumps. "Ok, now that I'm the leader, I gotta act the part."  
"Come on, you're fine. Keep acting like you are now. I could tell you're genuine." Rantaro said. "I've been fine following your lead since the beginning."  
"Honestly, maybe you'd be a better leader. You've got experience." Kaito shrugged.   
"Nah, I'm happier keeping everyone going. You lead the way, I'll prop up the stragglers." Rantaro said. "As hopeless as I am at that."  
"Why do you do that? Degrade yourself?" Kaito asked suspiciously.   
Rantaro's eyes darkened slightly. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Sorry, but we don't have time to focus on my personal issues. Besides, being in space is the best thing I could be doing for those issues."  
"Alright." Kaito said. "Just talk to me if you need to. I trust you. I'll have your back."  
Rantaro's smile returned. "Then I'll have yours too."  
"Hey asshats!" Miu's voice was slightly muffled by the door. "You gotta see this!"

"This will be perfect." Kirumi said, looking around the kitchen. "It is full stocked with plenty of ingredients. I can make all sorts of dishes."  
"You don't have to cook for us." Kaede said. "Kaito! I think these are the labs. Not this, this is a kitchen, but the other ones!"  
The crew had ventured down the hallway while Kaito had been talking to Rantaro. The hallway split into two, the first of which leading to a kitchen and several labs.   
"So who got a lab?" Kaito asked.  
"The biggest one is Kiibo's, I'm guessing there's a lot of robotic stuff in there. The one next to it is for Miu, the one at the end is Kiyo's, Kokichi has one next to him-"  
"Kokichi?" Kaito asked skeptically.  
"Yeah, no one's sure why." Kaede said. "Then there's one for Tsmugi, Maki, and Gonta. The one right here is for you."  
Kaito grinned. "I don't need it. I'm already in space."  
"I think it's actually navigation stuff. I just wanted to make you excited." Kaede admitted. "The door at the end of the hall leads to a gym. It has a dojo and tennis court too, so Tenko and Ryoma are happy, even if Ryoma won't admit it."  
"Damn, so they really thought of everything." Kaito said.  
"But of course! Atua planned all of it." Kaito jumped. Angie had somehow snuck up behind them. "My room is larger than yours. It has a small art studio attached to it."  
"And yet they couldn't fit a piano." Kaede sighed. Kaito patted her back sympathetically.   
"The other hallway leads to shuttles, space suits, weapons, all that mission crap." Miu walked up to them as well-  
"WOAH!" Kaito yelled, turning his head. "Why aren't you wearing clothes!"  
"Tsmugi's working on them." Miu shrugged. "And I didn't feel like waiting. I guess those things are designed to be washed with us. They're the only things we have to wear, and they aren't even that sexy. Hopefully Tsmugi can fix that. What's a girl supposed to do?"  
"But why aren't you wearing clothes..." Kaito hissed.  
"Aww, you can take a peek." Miu said sweetly. "It'll be enough to help you get it on for years to come! And like I said, this is all we have to wear and I didn't wanna wait around. So I'm exploring in my delicates."  
"Good for you." Kaito said, still refusing to look.   
"Miu, maybe you should put some clothes on." Kaede said slowly.   
"Not my fault you can't handle me." Miu shrugged, walking off towards her lab.  
"So who didn't get a lab? You, Rantaro, Shuichi, Himiko...is that it?"  
Kaede nodded. "Yeah. I mean, a lot of us technically didn't get labs, but there's stuff relating to their talents at least."  
"Awwwww, poor Kaede." Kokichi said, strolling over to them. "Whatcha talking about?"  
"Space lice." Kaito said.   
"Ew, that's a thing?"  
"Yeah, they're gross and annoying and they remind me of you."  
"Wow! Funny! Oh did I forget to laugh?" Kokichi rolled his eyes. "So space boy, what the heck do we do now?"  
"Wait I guess. Get comfy. I'll call everyone together in twenty minutes or so." he turned to Kaede. "So I have no idea where we'd find a piano in space, but if we do, you can put it in my lab."  
"Wow, that's so sweet I'm getting diabetes by just standing here. I'll see you freaks around." Kokichi said. "And by the way, there's totally a reason why I got a lab. It's just way too awesome to tell you."  
Kaito shook his head. "I guess the chances of us finding a piano in space are better than getting a straight answer out of him."

Kaito spent the next twenty minutes exploring the ship on his own. He'd found the boiler room, as well as a long, thin shaft that lead to a section of the ship's inner wiring. There was also a launching bay. Two of them actually, one for launching miniature shuttles, and a smaller one for space walks. Kaito had been tempted to throw on a spacesuit and try the spacewalk right then and there, but he had a bad feeling about leaving fifteen unsupervised and inexperienced crewmates alone. The last thing he needed was for Kokichi to actually singlehandedly fuck over the mission.   
"Hey space boy."  
Speaking of...  
"Let's chat." Kokichi said, falling into stride with Kaito.   
Kaito sighed. "What do you want? If it's more insults, I will flush you out an airlock."  
That seemed to mildly terrify him. "Woah! Hey, easy. No insults. I promise." When Kaito eyed him skeptically, Kokichi held up his hands in surrender. "Would I lie to you?"  
"Just tell me what you want." Kaito certainly didn't trust this one.   
"Well, I'm sure you're pissing yourself with excitement over being here right? I mean yeah, it's pretty cool. But does anything feel a little suspicious to you?"  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaito asked.   
"Well, here we are, literally in space and we still don't know what the hell we're supposed to be doing." Kokichi shrugged. "Now don't call me a conspiracy theorist, but what are the odds we're being sent up here to die by a corrupt government organization?"  
Kaito stared at him. "Are you serious?"  
Kokichi stared back, a new intensity in his eyes. "What do you think? You seen anything that might confirm that?"  
"Of course not!" Kaito spluttered. "The TCCSE is respectable! I was trained by them! I've never seen the facility we were launched form...B-but our mission is important!"  
"Another thing. Why would Towa City alone have a space center?" Kokichi mused. "I just think it's kinda funny they used personal files to scan hundreds of Ultimates and they only pick one space oriented one. Maybe they're saving the rest for something better. Maybe we're guinea pigs..."  
"Stop!" Kaito yelled. "Stop it, you're trying to screw with my head!"  
"Nishishi! That what you think? Ok." Kokichi shrugged. "Hug it out!"  
Before Kaito could react, Kokichi had wrapped his arms around him, pressing his face against Kaito's chest. "Woah! What the fuck are you doing!"  
"Watch yourself space boy." Kokichi hissed. There was something different about his voice now. "There's something going on here. And watching you get screwed over would be like watching a puppy get hit with a brick. You're stupid as hell but you're the best we've got. Don't fuck this up and be careful. Now hug me back goddammit before we look weird."  
Kaito slowly obliged. "Wait what do you me-"  
Kokichi let go and jumped back, smiling wildly. "Huh? Aw you think I like you? Ew, you're not my type." He snickered. "Just being a good little soldier."  
"Kokichi seriously-"  
"Nishishi! Gullible much? I was just kidding." He flicked his wrist in a somewhat sassy wave. "Seriously, I expected better from our honorable leader. See ya space boy, aw don't look so sad! I'm a liar, it's what I do!"  
Kaito watched Kokichi walk away, open mouthed. Did he think he was cool or funny? That wave was weird, like he was....  
Kaito turned around and looked up. A security camera. Had Kokichi been pointing at that? No, he'd said it himself. He was a liar. He was trying to fuck with Kaito's head. Kaito couldn't trust anything he said. Still...Had he been trying to warn Kaito? Did a supreme leader somehow know these things? Was Kaito believing that now?  
Damn, he was getting a headache. If Kokichi really was trying to screw with him, he'd succeeded. He debated seeking out Rantaro or Kaede, but found himself walking to Shuichi's room. 

The Detective opened the door after the first few knocks. "That's was fast." Kaito laughed.   
"Oh! Sorry, I'm a little jumpy I was just going to leave anyways. I can't sit still."  
"I know how you feel." Kaito said. "Wanna walk with me? I don't have anything to do either. C'mon sidekick! Let's bond!"  
Shuichi nodded and followed Kaito down the hallway, head down. "What do you mean by bond?"  
"Tell me about yourself!" Kaito said. "You're a detective right? Do you have a super sense? Like can you tell when shit's weird?"  
"Uh, no, not like that. I get hunches yeah, but I don't really follow them." Shuichi shrugged. "I worked for my uncle's detective agency. Stuff really picked up after the Invasion. We still accept all the missing person cases even though...we know where they went."  
Kaito grimaced. Those poor people, hoping for something that might never happen. "So what do you do?"  
"The best we can. We can usually determine where they were taken from." Shuichi said. He sounded grim. "It at least gives them a little closure. We can't do much else. That's why I agreed to go here."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I wanted to do more. I guess we can't rescue anyone who's already been taken, but maybe we can stop any others from happening. I don't want to be useless."  
"Damn, now I feel selfish." Kaito laughed. When Shuichi looked at him, he elaborated. "I didn't even think of all that. I was only interested in finally getting to space. I'm pretty sure I broke a record for youngest person in space! I mean, with you guys I guess, but it's something! And now really isn't the time to think about that..." he trailed off. "See? Selfish."  
"I don't blame you. You've trained your whole life for this." Shuichi said. "It makes perfect sense why you're here...but..."  
"Hm?" Kaito asked.   
"Nothing."  
"Bullshit! You can't do that to me! Now I'm gonna be curious and if I never sleep again, it's your fault! I'm joking." Kaito added, seeing Shuichi's horrified look. "You're not really the joking type are you.  
"Not really I guess...and really it's nothing. It's just weird how soon they sent us up. We didn't get any training. I brushed off the feelings I was having, but that launch could have killed us. We got lucky."  
Kaito nodded. "I've been thinking about that too. But maybe they couldn't wait any more. We had to get up here quickly. It could all be a huge coincidence."  
Shuichi muttered something about not believing in coincidences and Kaito shuddered. First Kokichi, and now Shuichi. Was there something going on? Kaito wanted to believe in the TCCSE more than anything, but maybe he should be believing in the feelings of his crew instead...  
"Shuichi." he said finally. "Do you think something could be going on-"  
A crackle of static cut Kaito off. "Attention crew. Please assemble in the lounge area for briefing." The woman's slightly fuzzy voice played through a speaker overhead. "Immediately." 

The crew had barely arrived in the lounge when the woman started speaking. "We have received news that the Abudctions have begun early." the woman stated. "You must be en route to the Imperial ship. Our window is closing. You have one day to reach the Imperial, gather intel, and tail a shuttle back to the Homeworld."  
"Can we not?" Kokichi asked. Everyone stared at him. "What? This feels kinda impossible."  
"Sorry, but I agree." Ryoma said. "It was impossible before, and we had three times the time. Now you expect us to do this in a day?"  
"There is another option." the woman said coolly. "We can wait for the next abduction."  
"We're doing it now." Rantaro said suddenly.   
"Excellent. Head to the Imperial. When you reach your destination, we will speak again." With a muffled click, the static faded.   
"Ok, what in the hell are you doing?" Kokichi asked, staring at Rantaro.  
"I'm sorry." For the first time, he refused to meet anyone's eyes. "I can't let anyone else be taken. I'm sorry, I can't. We have to end it. This is going to be the last abduction in human history, so help me."  
Rantaro was giving off a terrifying aura again. Despite his own worries, Kaito spoke up. "He's right. We're doing this for the rest of humanity. We can let more people get taken because we're too scared to do what has to be done. We're doing it now. I believe in us."  
"I demand to be buried in a separate cemetery from the rest of you." Kokichi said, heading back to his room.   
"Great talk! Thanks Kokichi!" Kaito yelled sarcastically. "Anyone else want to be no help whatsoever?"  
"Nyeh...this is a bad idea. All of this. I want to go home." Himiko sighed. "We don't even know what we're doing."  
"Sure we do!" Kaito said. "We're heading to the Imperial ship. I'm sure when we get there, we'll get all the information we need."  
"Mm...ok." Himiko said slowly. "It's not like any of us are ever going home again..."  
"Stop saying that!" Kaede spoke up. "If you think like we're going to die, it has a higher chance of happening. We have to believe in ourselves."  
"Statistically yes, we have a very slim chance of returning home." Kiibo said. "Well, I don't have a home per say, but if I did, I'd probably never see it again."  
"I was being sarcastic when I asked if anyone else wanted to be no help!" Kaito exclaimed. "Jeez. Anything else?"  
"I agree with Rantaro." Korekiyo said calmly. "There is no need for humanity to suffer due to our own failures. And don't worry, thinking about dying doesn't seem to make it happen any faster. At least not in my experience."   
Kaito stared. "You need help."  
"We're all beyond help now." Korekiyo said. "I'm merely stating that I have no issue with dying. I will play my role as best I can until then." with that, he exited the lounge as well.   
"He's got a point." Ryoma said. "I can't help but feel that this is a one way trip. The only thing we can really do now is do our part and hope it's enough."  
"ENOUGH!" Kaede yelled. "Stop it! Everyone! Do you really think we aren't going to make it out of here?"  
"Um, we're literally in space getting ready to break into an alien ship. You tell me." Miu said, crossing her arms.   
"Fine." Kaede said softly. "You all can think like that. Just know I'm going to try my hardest to keep you all alive. You have my word that as long as I'm alive, you'll be safe."  
"I agree." Kirumi said. "I have decided to accept the request of the TCCSE, as well as Kaede. I will devote myself to completing the mission and returning us all home safely."  
"I won't let anyone get hurt if I can help it." Rantaro said.  
"Ditto. I'm the captain and no one dies unless I say so!" Kaito added.  
"I'll die whenever I want! And a degenerate male doesn't get to decide that!" Tenko yelled.   
"Tenko, that didn't make sense." Himiko said.   
"Whatever! I'm gonna protect all the girls here." she said, crossing her arms. "And maybe the boys. It depends."  
"That's the spirit!" Kaede cheered. "We can't give up before we've even started. Please, believe in me and believe in yourselves."  
"If I hear the word believe one more time today I'm gonna puke." Kokichi had returned. "So, what are we waiting for? Are we going or not?"  
"I thought you didn't want to." Kaito said suspiciously.   
"Uh, obvi I don't want to. But if I get my own cemetery and a few statues, I'm cool with it. Unless I die of boredom first because you stupidheads aren't doing anything." he crossed his arms and pouted.   
"Uh...Miu, can I put you on navigation?" Kaito asked.  
"I don't take orders from you, but yeah. Sure." Miu said. "I'll get you to the ship faster than a virgin's first time!"  
"...Great. Rantaro, Kaede, Shuichi, help me get supplies ready. Tsmugi, try and fix up everyone's suits. Tenko, Himiko, Angie, find Korekiyo, yell at him for being depressing and then bring him to me."  
"Let's go hunt down a male!" Tenko cheered.   
"Kirumi, Ryoma, Gonta. Go check out the weapons we have. Don't kill anyone."  
"Gentlemen don't kill." Gonta said cheerfully.   
"Kokichi, Kiibo, Stay with Miu if she needs anything."   
"I don't want them!" Miu yelled back.   
"What about me?"  
Kaito jumped. He had honestly forgotten about Maki. "Jesus! Um, come with us I guess." Kaito said. "Or check out weapons. Whatever you want."  
"I'll just go with you." Maki sighed. "Tell me what to do and I'll do it."  
"At least someone's helpful around here." Kaito sighed, eyeing Kokichi. 

"Alright! That's a lot of space stuff!" Kaito cheered. "Look at all this!"   
"I have no idea what I'm looking at." Shuichi said apologetically.   
"Ok, so this here is a thermopatch. It keeps you from freezing to death. That one there's a hydropatch. It keeps you hydrated. And that one is a nunyapatch."  
"What's nunya?"  
"Nunya buisness." Maki rolled her eyes. "What!" Kaito said. "I know that's old but come on, I think it's funny."  
"Hilarious." Rantaro said, patting Kaito on the shoulder. "So you said patches. What do you place em on?"  
"Your skin." Kaito said. "Different places depending on what patch they're using. They're a lot of things. There's different medicine, adrenaline, sedatives..."  
"Wow. So drugs." Kaede said.   
"Yeah, these aren't mass distributed any more. There was a massive breach in security so they recalled them. There were massive trafficking rings."  
"So have you ever used one?" Kaede asked, picking one up and rubbing her fingers over it.   
"Nah." Kaito lied. "I just know how to recognize which one does what. Just grab a bunch of each. Maki, you can sort them into piles of one of each. They're good to have."  
Maki nodded, taking a handful of patches before sitting down and sorting them.  
"The rest of this stuff is first aid." Kaito said. "We really wanna have those. Of course they're not organized either, so Kaede, Rantaro, you can do that."  
"You got it." Rantaro said.   
"Me and Shuichi are gonna head back and see what else we got." Kaito said. Shuichi followed him back through the shelves of supplies.   
"It's pretty cool how you know all that stuff about the patches." Shuichi said. "You sure you've never used them before?"  
"No, like I said, I just studied them." Kaito said.  
He couldn't mention the patch that was currently stuck to his chest, pressed tight against his skin. The patch that had been releasing medication to his failing body. Not to mention that the patch was highly illegal. Kaito had managed to...find some, but his supply had been dwindling.   
Maybe he was being paranoid, but Kokichi really had managed to get under his skin. Maybe it was better to not mention anything about his sickness, just in case.   
Better safe than sorry, that's why he was doing this. He was protecting himself. Kaito grimaced and forced his thoughts away from his predicament. Thankfully a distraction was just around the corner.  
"Hey! Check it out! Drones!"


	5. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys thank you so much for the comments! Reading them makes my day. I'm so happy you're enjoying this. I'm really enjoying writing it!! Anyways, without further ado, enjoy the new chapter!!

"Holy space balls." Kokichi spoke up. "That's a big ship."  
"Anyone else find it funny how it actually looks like a mushroom?" Rantaro offered. Kaito assumed that he was trying to lighten the mood. Mushroom or not though, the sight of the alien ship was terrifying.   
It was ten times, maybe even twelve times of the ship they were in now. It's thick, stalk like bottom was as thick as four sky scrapers. The dome above it spread out immensely, covering everything around it in a massive radius. The entire ship was aglow with blinking lights and the dome itself rotated slowly.   
The crew had arrived just a few minutes ago, all sixteen of them gathered in the cockpit, eyeing the Imperial ship.   
"This is it." Kiibo said. "I can feel the frequencies coming off it. They're a lot stronger than anything Earth has ever developed."  
"Frequencies?" Kaito asked.   
"Yes, communication frequencies. I can't see what they're saying, but I can determine when they're sent and the general direction they're being sent to." Kiibo said. "There's a lot of chatter. This is a massive operation center."  
"Where are they going?" Kaede asked.   
Kiibo shook his head. "All I can tell is that they're going to deep space. Farther away than any Earth mission has ever been sent."  
"Oh fantastic." Kokichi said, kicking his feet up on the dashboard. "So, not to be a downer or anything, but how do we even get onto the big scary space mushroom?"  
"We wait for orders." Kaito said.   
"Because that's worked out so well so far."  
"Do you have any better ideas?" Kaito snapped. "All you've done since you've gotten here is bitch and moan. So you'd better start pulling your fucking weight or I'll launch you into space by yourself. Without a suit!"  
To Kaito's surprise, Kokichi grinned. "Attaboy Luminary of the whatevers. Showing some spine at last."  
Kaito was debating punching him for real this time, when a crackle of static filtered from the PA.   
"Please confirm your status." The woman's cold voice said. "Our scanners indicate that you have reached the Imperial ship."  
"We're all good here." Kaito responded. "And yeah, we're right in front of it."  
"Excellent." The woman said. "You will now prepare to board the ship. Each of you has been categorized into a specific role."  
"Watch mine be boring." Kokichi grumbled.  
"Mr. Oma, you will remain on board with the robotic operative to decode any incoming or exporting chatter."  
"See? Dammit, come on robotic operative. We're sitting out for this one. Someone gimme a laptop or something." Kokichi rose from his seat and slunk out the door, down towards his room.  
"Please don't call me that. I would prefer if you used my name. I don't call you "short and generally annoying operative" do I?" Kiibo said, trailing after him.   
"Can't believe the gremlin's actually being trusted with something." Miu sighed.   
"Mr. Oma has proved to be an accomplished hacker, well renown for his actions on the deep web." the woman responded. Miu jumped, clearly not expecting to be heard. "Rest assure that everything has been thought of. There is no need for animosity amongst yourselves."  
No need to think basically. Kaito met Shuichi's eyes.   
"Mr. Shinguji and Ms. Yonaga will remain onboard as HQ support. Ms. Yonaga has been studying the floor plans of the ship for quite some time. She will act as your guide over comms. Mr. Shinguji will begin to decode any and all information sent back."   
"Ooh! Atua thinks that this is the perfect job for us!" Angie cheered. She grabbed Korekiyo by the arm and cheerfully dragged him back towards the lounge. Korekiyo seemed more panicked by the physical contact than his assignment.   
"The rest of you will be divided into two teams. One team will board and explore the west half of the ship, the other will explore the east. Please decide who will lead each team."  
"Ok." Kaito said slowly. "If it's ok with you all, I'll take one." Everyone nodded, and Kaito continued. "Rantaro, can you take the other? You're the one with the most experience, and I trust you."  
Rantaro seemed surprised, but he nodded. "Sure thing."  
"Excellent." The woman's voice cut back in, making everyone jump. We will proceed to divide the teams accordingly. One moment please."  
"W-wait. Why am I going?" Himiko said in a small voice. "I d-don't want to..."  
Kaito had to agree. The poor girl was shaking. She was tiny with no combat experience. Ryoma could clearly handle himself, but Himiko?   
"Don't worry Himiko! I'll protect you." Tenko said. Himiko seemed to brighten slightly.   
"Thank you for waiting." The woman's voice returned. "Please divide Ms. Chabashira and Ms. Harukawa amongst yourselves as combat specialists."  
Kaito looked at Maki, surprised. She looked away quickly. "I'll take Maki." he spoke up.  
"Alright, Tenko and Himiko are with me." Rantaro said, offering the redhead a smile. She nodded.  
"Mr. Amami, you are not authorized to form your own team." The woman said. She sounded slightly irritated. "Nevertheless, you may have Ms. Yumeno as a spare. Ms. Akamatsu, you will join Mr. Momota."  
"Spare?" Kaede whispered. "What does that mean?" Kaito shrugged. Ryoma's face darkened suddenly.   
"Please divide Mr. Gokuara and Mr. Hoshi among yourselves as secondary combat."  
"Could Gonta please go with Himiko? Gentlemen help protect those in need." Gonta said.   
"Yeah! Himiko protection squad!" Tenko cheered. "I guess you degenerate males are good for something."  
"Go for it." Kaito said. "Ryoma, you're with me." Ryoma only nodded in response. He still looked scary.   
"Please divide Ms. Iruma and Mr. Saihara amongst yourselves for intel gathering."  
"Intel gathering? Me?" Shuichi asked nervously.  
"You're a detective. You're gonna do great." Kaede said.   
"WE WANT MIU!" Tenko shrieked. "Sorry, but I can't take any more degenerate males on this team."  
"That's cool with me. You're with us, sidekick." Kaito said, clapping Shuichi on the shoulder.  
"Finally, please divide Ms. Tojo and Ms. Shirogane amongst yourselves for infiltration."  
"Infiltration!" Tsmugi yelled. "I already told you! Cosplay is not a disguise-"  
"Failure to comply will result in the termination of your loved ones."  
The threat was developed coldly. It was stated as a fact. Kaito felt like he'd been dunked in a bucket of ice water. Had Kokichi been right?  
"Apologies." The woman said. She sounded tired. "We cannot afford hesitation."  
Kaito relaxed slightly. She was stressed, that was all...right? The rest of the group looked equally nervous and unsure.   
"Tsmugi, you're with me. Kirumi, you good with Rantaro?" Kaito said, trying to ignore the shake in his voice.  
"I will follow your orders as requested." Kirumi said.   
"Awesome. So that's me, Maki, Kaede, Ryoma, Shuichi and Tsmugi." Kaito said. "And Rantaro's with Tenko, Himiko, Gonta, Miu and Kirumi."  
"Excellent. Please make your way to the transport deck and prepare to board. Await orders." the PA clicked off.   
"Not to sound like Kokichi but...they didn't tell us anything else." Tsmugi said softly.   
"They're taking it one step at a time." Kaito said, trying his best to sound reassuring. "Making sure there's no room for error."  
"Or no room for us to think for ourselves." Ryoma said darkly. 

"Awww look at this cozy little get together!" Kokichi said, eyeing the twelve crew members standing in the launch bay. Having adorned tight fitting space suits, they resembled a crew of various shaped marshmallows.  
"We all know you're jealous you're not coming Kokichi." Kaede sighed.   
"Am I though? I realized that I'm waaaay less likely to die up here than down there." he snickered, seeing Himiko pale. "Hey, don't worry! I'm still looking out for you!"  
"What can you possibly do?" Kaito asked.  
"I brought you a little present." Kokichi said. "Don't worry, it won't explode or anything."  
"Doubt it." Kaito grumbled.   
"Here you go!" Kokichi shoved a roll of paper towels into Kaito's hands. "To help you clean up whoever's guts get all over everything. Ten bucks says it's gonna be Himiko!" with that, the self proclaimed supreme leader turned on his heel and walked off of the launch deck.   
Kaito was ready to chuck the paper towels back at Kokichi's head, when Shuichi grabbed his arm.  
"Wait, we could use them."  
"What?? That's bullshi..." Kaito trailed off as Shuichi gave him a meaningful look. "You're right. Let's get them in a secure pack."  
Once safely away from the rest of the group, down a thin hallway, Kaito turned back to Shuichi. "Ok what's-"  
"I just think that we shouldn't judge people by their first impression." Shuichi cut him off. That made Kaito freeze. Shuichi wasn't ballsy enough to cut in like that normally. A quick glance around the hall revealed several cameras. Damn, those things were everywhere.  
"Yeah? Why's that?" Kaito asked.   
"It's what's on the inside that matters." as Shuichi sealed the paper towels in the pack, Kaito caught a glimpse of something small and silvery.   
"What is your status?" the female's cold voice had returned. Kaito jogged back to the launch bay.   
"We're all set. Just packing a few last minute things."  
"Excellent. Please make your way to shuttles A and B."  
Kaito grabbed Rantaro's shoulder as he passed. "Good luck. Keep em safe for me."  
"You too." Rantaro said. "I promise everyone's coming back in one piece."  
Kaito nodded before falling in line to enter the shuttle. It was a small plane-like contraption with a row of seats behind a tiny cockpit. "Guessing I'm flying this thing."  
The woman's voice echoed from a set of speakers in the cockpit. "Very well. Once you have confirmed pilots, please be seated for launch."  
"What's up fuckwads? Shuttle B checking in. This is the gorgeous girl genius slash pilot" Miu's voice crackled from the same speaker system.   
"Hey Miu, Shuttle A's all set. How you guys feeling?"  
"My back's killing me. Hey Tsmugi, think you could give me a little more support up front-"  
"Please do not use the radio channels for idle chit chat." the woman cut back in.   
"Idle? I'm guessing you don't have these facilities, do you sweetie-"  
"Strike one Ms. Iruma." the woman's voice was cold enough to frost over the shuttles.   
"S-sorry..."  
"Coordinates have been sent to you as of now." The woman continued. "You will pilot to your designated destinations and away orders from your HQ. We will not speak again until you return to the ship. Good luck." the woman's voice clicked off.  
"Um, not to sound like Kokichi again, but what the hell!" Tsmugi spluttered. "We're being handed over to other people who have no idea what's going on!"  
"Have a little more faith!" Angie's voice played through the shuttle. "Atua has given me the information needed!"  
"Command gave us all of the details." Korekiyo's quiet voice was barely heard.   
"Because Atua made it so!"  
"Great." Kaito said. "I don't care how we got it, we have it. That's what matters. Ok. Now or never team. We all ready? Shuttle B?"  
"Yeah, guess so." Miu still sounded nervous. "Ready when you are."  
"Alright. Here goes." Kaito said, warming the engine.  
"By Atua's will, I will open the bay doors." Angie said. As soon as she finished speaking, the back wall lowered away from the rest of the room, revealing both a ramp and the wide expanse of space. "Contact will be re-established once you've docked safely."  
"Good luck." Korekiyo said calmly, before the comms cut out.  
"You heard em Shuttle B." Kaito said. "We're on our own until we land. You got the coordinates?"  
"Yeah." Miu said. "Now shut your mouth and let's do this shit already."  
Kaito grinned. "You heard the lady, here we go. Good luck guys, Shuttle A out." he turned off the comms system. "Buckle up guys. Launching in three...two...one!"  
Kaito carefully guided the ship down the ramp and into the starry beyond. 

"It's so smooth. The ride I mean." Tsmugi was the first to speak up after five minutes of silence  
"Yeah, these babies are tougher than they look. We can't go long distances with them, but they're perfect for scouting crews checking out other planets or moons..."  
"Or enemy ships." Shuichi said softly. The Imperial ship was looming before them.  
"Ok, there's a docking bay to our right." Kaito could see shuttle B peeling off to head for their own bay. "We're heading there."  
"Won't they see us?" Kaede asked.   
"No." Shuichi spoke up. "They don't use video footage."  
"Why not?" Tsmugi asked. "How do you know?"  
Instead of Shuichi's voice, Kaito heard Maki's instead. "If they had video footage we would have been told about it. I don't think they have eyes that work like ours. Video is useless to them."  
"Well, makes it easier for us." Ryoma said. "As easy as infiltrating an alien ship can be."  
"We're here." Kaito said. "Brace for landing." He said it as a warning, despite the relatively smooth landing.   
"Yay! Connection re-established! You did it! Praise be to Atua!" Angie cheered.   
"Hey Angie. Yeah, we've landed. Where's shuttle B?"  
"We're here." Rantaro's smooth voice joined Angie's over the comms. "We had some trouble getting in. Miu hit the side of the bay-"  
"I've never fucking flown one of these before!" Miu cut in.   
"One of our thrusters is a little sparky." Rantaro continued. "But I think we'll be ok."  
"Leave the shuttles in the bay." Angie ordered.   
"Wait, how will we talk if we leave them-" Kaito didn't get a chance to finish his question.  
"Leave that to me spaceboy!" Kokichi said cheerfully. "Don't say anything, turn off the ship comms. Tell me when they're off."  
"They are now." Kaito said, after switching them off.   
"Awesome." Kokichi said. "There's a mini comm system in your helmets. I tapped into it. It's fully private. The only ones who can hear us is us."  
"Why would we need a private line?" Kaede asked.  
"Oh my sweet, naive Kaede." Kokichi sighed. "Do you really think we can trust our dear friends back at the TCCSE? Didn't think so. Everyone gimme a count off."  
"One?" Kaito offered.  
"Aww he can count!" Kokichi said. "Just say your names or whatevs."  
Everyone sounded off, including Angie and Korekiyo. "Kokichi." Shuichi said. "Can I ask what it is you gave us?"  
"Duh! Paper towels!" Kokichi said cheerfully. "Ok, yeah, just kidding. There's a flashdrive. I want you to find some kind of outlet to jam it in. It'll get me into their system."  
"To do what?" Himiko asked.  
"Yank their info! I'm making your job easier." Kokichi said, sounding as if it was obvious. "Which one of you idiots has it?"  
"I do." Kaito said.   
"Ok, you guys find me my outlet. The rest of you, do me a solid and turn on your body cams. I wanna live this from here."  
"Yes, Atua says we need them on." Angie said. "Are we all ready to proceed?"  
"Yup." Rantaro said. "We'll always be able to talk to each other yeah?"  
"Yup. I'm just that talented." Kokichi said.   
"Atua says you should shut up Kokichi." Angie said, still in her cheerful tone. "We don't have long, so let us begin!" 

The ship was far creepier than Kaito thought it would be. It was quiet. They had yet to come across any other signs of life.   
"Angie, you sure we're heading to their comms room?" Kaito asked quietly, despite the lack of anything else to hear them.  
"Of course! You go to comms, they go to weaponry. It's very simple."  
"Easy for you to say. You're not here." Maki said.  
"Yes, it is a bit strange that I am here. I know the ship better than-turn left here! Than anyone else."  
"Sure it does. You're too valuable." Ryoma said. "Even if we die, future teams still have you to guide them."  
"Atua always has a plan." Angie said calmly. "Now you will see an overhead hatch. climb up it to the second level."  
"What's up there?"  
"Hold please! Team two seems to have run into something!"  
"Angie what? Wait!" Kaito yelled.   
"Go up the hatch." Angie's voice had been replaced by Korekiyo's calm one. "It leads to a certain storage area. It is unlikely you will run into trouble."  
"What's happening?" Kaede asked. "Are the others ok?"  
"Focus on getting up." Korekiyo's voice didn't betray any worry.   
"Kiyo come on! Are they even alive?!" Kaito demanded.  
"...What did you just call me?"  
"Your name's fucking long! Kiyo, Korekiyo, doesn't matter. Are they ok!"  
"I see. You may call me Kiyo." There was a short pause. "Yes. They are ok. For now."  
"What do you mean?! You're even worse than the ground control!"  
"Would you rather I worry you about something you cannot control? Or would you rather do what you can do to help? It is your choice."  
Kaito gritted his teeth and began to climb up the hatch. "Is this because I tried to hit you?"  
"No. I only worry about your state of mind."

Kaito had asked more questions without response, so all he had left to do was to climb. The hatch was large with the rungs far apart. By the time he'd made it to the top, his arms were aching and he was soaked with sweat.   
"Ok, we're up."  
"Go to your right!" Angie was back. "It leads right into the chamber."  
"IS TEAM TWO OK!?" Kaito yelled.   
"Yes. They ran into some kind of security drone." Angie said. "Gonta smashed it with his bare hands!"  
"Woah! I wasn't watching! I missed that? Dammit!" Kokichi exclaimed. "Sorry, there's a lot of radio shit going on. Not fully sure what's going on here."  
"Kaito!" Kaede called. "Look at this."  
He joined her at what appeared to be the mouth of the chamber. A large, round circular room lay before them. It was a luminescent green with slick steel walls. The walls were lined with amber pods.   
"What exactly do they store in here?" Shuichi asked slowly.  
Angie was quiet for a minute before answering. "Samples."  
"Samples of what?!" Kaito yelled. He got a scream in response. Tsmugi was jerking back from one of the pods.   
"Oh god! Oh my god!" She stumbled back, toppling over onto the steel floor.   
"What's wrong? Are you ok!" Kaede yelled.   
"E-eyes, th-there are eyes..." Tsmugi stuttered.   
Kaito made his way over to the pod and blanched. It was crammed full of human eyes. "What the actual fuck!"  
"Ugh, ew, of course this is when I pay attention." Kokichi said. "That's sick."  
"Um, can someone tell me why the hell there's a bunch of eyes?" Ryoma said, voice shaky.   
"I believe this is some kind of laboratory." Kiyo said. "It's almost like they're curious children. I believe this confirms our theory about the differences between their eyes. They're fascinated by them it seems. They take them and collect them. I wonder if it's like pinning a butterfly to a board for them."  
"So they do this...because they want to?" Kaede said weakly.   
"Yes and no. I theorize that they dissect humans for science, but that does not mean they do not enjoy it. It's like looking for seashells. You keep pretty specimens that you like."  
"That's so sick." Kaede said.  
"To us maybe, not them. Do not hold these beings to human standards. That is my job. They are scientists, we are their lab work. Try not to be disturbed by this."  
"How can you not be disturbed!" Kaede cried. "These are people!"  
"Do you cry when you step on a worm? No. This is not murder, it's science."  
"Stop it!" Kaede screamed. "You sound like one of them!"   
Kiyo didn't respond for a moment. "That is how you see me? How curious..."  
"Angie, where do we go from here?" Kaito asked.   
"Well first I need images of the cells. Go walk around them so I can get video."  
"I'll do it." Ryoma spoke up. "You guys stay here."  
Ryoma carefully walked the circumference of the room, pausing in front of each pod. When he returned to the group, he looked sick. "Ok, that good?"  
"Yes, thank you!" Angie said. "Proceed to the door on the right and head down the hallway. Stop when I say so!"  
Kaito made his way to Ryoma. "What was in the other pods?"  
Ryoma shook his head. "Nothing good. Ears, hands, other parts. I don't wanna talk about it."  
Kaito nodded and the group moved forward in silence. 

"Stop here!" Angie's voice finally cut into the silence. "You will enter another lab room."  
"Perhaps they should not." Kiyo said delicately. "I am unsure they can handle it-"  
"Like hell we can't." Ryoma said. "We're going."  
Kaito heard Kiyo sigh heavily. "Very well. Do not complain about the monstrosity of the actions then."  
"Are you serious?!" Kaede asked. "These are-"  
"They were people. Now they are dead. We cannot bring them back. If you want to honor them when you return I am happy to walk you through various honoring ceremonies. But for now all we can do is keep going." Kaito thought he was trying to make his voice sound more gentle.  
"Fine. But I'm not going to forget about this." Kaede said.   
"I did not ask you to."  
"Let's keep going." Kaito said. "Ready team?"  
"I believe full cadavers will be in this one." Kiyo said.   
"Fantastic." Ryoma said. "Do we have to linger in there or no?"  
"Same as before. Get me a room scan pretty please!" Angie chirped.   
"You haven't happened to see any outlets have you?" Kokichi chimed in.  
"No, not yet." Kaito said. "Ok, let's do it team. How's team two?"  
"They're not responding." Kiyo said calmly.   
"WHAT?!"  
"They are not respondi-"  
"I heard you the first time! Why not! Did they say anything?!" Kaito demanded.   
"No."   
Kaito swore under his breath. This was messier than he thought it would be.   
"Keep going." Angie chided. "I'm sure Atua will deem it necessary to restore contact soon."  
"I'm on it." Kokichi spoke up. "If I can't find em, no one can. Then again I can't find them so...Hey you know what would help! If you plugged the drive in."  
"I'm working on it!" Kaito snapped.  
"Everyone calm down." Maki said sharply. "It's clear that we're really not equipped to be handling this. Fighting will only make it worse. Angie, I'm going into the next lab. Anyone who wants to stay behind is welcome to."  
Kaito exchanged looks with the rest of his crew before hurrying after Maki's long determined strides. 

The second lab was a replica of the first. Thankfully the pods were empty in this one, with no cadavers to be seen.  
"They cleaned it out recently." Angie said. "How interesting!"  
"Is it a good interesting or a bad interesting?" Tsmugi asked.  
"I'm not sure! How exciting!"  
"You guys need anything else in here?" Shuichi asked.   
"Yes. Please get me a closer look at some of the labels." Korekiyo said. He hadn't spoken much since the hallway.   
"Why? What are you going to do with it? Read it?"  
"I will need to teach myself their language first, but ideally yes. I need samples of their written language though."  
"You can do that?" Kaede asked.  
"Of course. From the limited samples I have seen so far, I have determined that their language is similar to hieroglyphics. Pictures for words."  
"Ok, I'll get the writing." Kaito said, stepping around the room. "That good enough?"  
"Closer. Try standing over that label."  
"I got em!" Kokichi's voice made Kaito jump. "They're ok, for now. They're hiding, waiting it out."  
"Hiding from what?" Ryoma asked.   
"Uh, good question. No idea what that thing is." Kokichi said. "It's pretty nasty looking though."  
"Do not worry for them. I am sure Atua will protect them." Angie said. "Keep going! You will enter the main lab next. This is an important area."  
"Should we go to the others?" Shuichi asked. "Maybe we can help."  
"No, wouldn't recommend." Kokichi said. "We're running out of time. You guys should thank your lucky stars that you got the quiet side. Now be good little soldiers and finish up before that quiet's gone." 

The lab was massive. It was three times the size of the two storerooms the team had previously entered. It was well lit and looked like something you might find on Earth, despite having more advanced technology.  
"Bingo!" Kokichi cheered. "Plug it in to that console."  
Kaito obliged, carefully scanning the lab. It was also completely clean, with no sign of recent use.   
"Hey, I found something." Maki said softly. She had tapped on a panel, causing a drawer to slide open. "I think it's blood."  
The liquid in the vials that lined the drawers gave off the same fluorescent green glow as the room.  
"That's disgusting." Kokichi said.   
"What do we do?" Maki asked. "I could try to bring it back with us."  
"It might be dangerous." Ryoma said.   
"Bring it back." Korekiyo said. "My experience in forensic anthropology is limited, but I believe I can gain some knowledge for it."  
"Can someone please explain what the heck anthropology even is!" Kokichi whined. There was a beep in the background. "Oh sweet, I'm in. Let's see what we got...boop!"  
A screen in the lab lit up with a chart, written in the same swirly language the team had seen throughout the ship.   
"That was you, right?" Tsmugi said nervously.  
"Yeah, just me. Want me to play a cute cat video or something? I saw an adorable one the other day-"  
"Guys." Kaito said. "Am I crazy or does the label on this point here match the one by the eyes."  
"No. It is a match." Kiyo confirmed. "It may be a bit early to make a guess, but I believe we are looking at capture rates for abductions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank you guys again for the comments. It seriously means the world to me!! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading this far, and hopefully I'll be back soon with another chapter!!


	6. Crunch Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys again for the comments and Kudos!! Sorry for the late upload again. I promise I'll try to be more consistent!!

"Are you sure?" Tsmugi asked. "These are the capture rates?"  
"Just saying, that's a pretty small graph for all the abductions that have ever happened." Kokichi said.   
"I'm not saying it's all of the abduction rates. I'm saying it's some of the abduction rates." Korekiyo said. He was beginning to sound irritated.   
"Can we translate it?" Kaito asked. "Can we gain anything from this?"  
"Oh of course, let me just learn the entire language in twenty seconds." Kiyo's tone of voice hadn't changed, but Kaito was almost certain that he was being sarcastic. He could hear Kokichi snickering, so Kaito assumed he wasn't the only one that had reached this conclusion.   
"Guys, come on." Kaede said. "We're all really stressed. I think we should try and get this data to the ship and worry about translating it later."  
"Yeah, good idea." Kaito said. If he hadn't been wearing a helmet, he would have run his hand through his hair. "For the record, I'm sorry. I'm a shit leader apparently, and things should be running more smoothly."  
"Hm? How silly! It is not your fault!" Angie seemed to be the only one not impacted by stress. "Atua says it is the fault of those who brought us here. The two of us here can't handle everything by ourselves."  
"Hey what am I? Space shit?" Kokichi asked. "But yeah, I do have to question the choice to leave me and robo-boy here. Wouldn't a robot be like, super helpful?"  
"My orders were to stay here." Kaito could hear Kiibo's voice faintly.   
"Riiight, sorry, totally forgot we have the most useless robot ever made."  
"Enough." Kaito said. "I agree with all of you...well, not with Kiibo being useless, but everything else! Complaining isn't going to do anything for us. We gotta keep going. What does team two think?"  
"Oh, we lost contact with them ten minutes ago." Angie said. "You keep reacting badly when we tell you, so we just didn't."  
"WHAT?!" Kaito yelled.   
"Ok! Time to keep going!" Angie cheered. "Unless there's any physical evidence to document, the flashdrive you planted should allow the small annoying one to get what we need."  
"You're literally about my height." Kokichi grumbled.   
"C'mon." Ryoma said. "I do think we have a deadline.   
At that moment a burst of noise crackled over the comm lines. "STUPID MOTHERFUCKING WHORE-ASS ABORTION SCUM! I'LL-"  
"Was that...Miu?" Maki asked.  
"Definitely." Kaito said. "Miu, can you hear us?"  
"WHAT? OH! HEY! LINES ARE BACK UP!" She shrieked. "EVERYONE STOP MOVING!"  
"Hey Kaito." Rantaro said. He was still remarkably calm.   
"Jesus! What's happening!"  
"We, um, seem to have entered some kind of on board menagerie."   
"ONE OF THEM ATE HIMIKO!" Tenko yelled. "GONTA HELP ME TEAR IT OPEN!"  
"What the hell is going on?!" Kaito yelled.   
"I...honestly don't know how to explain." Rantaro said. There was a inhuman screech and a spattering noise.   
"Gonta has torn head off of alien." Gonta said. "That was not gentlemanly of Gonta."  
"It was so dark..." Himiko said weakly.   
"We seem to have stumbled across some kind of carnivorous livestock." Kirumi said. "We tripped some sort of alarm releasing them into a sealed bay with us."  
"Guess we did get the quiet half." Ryoma said. "As far as I know, eyeballs have never eaten anyone."  
"Tenko, Gonta and myself are keeping them at bay while Miu and Rantaro gather intel." Kirumi reported. "Himiko is trying to stay alive."  
"Nyeh...it's not going well..."  
"You have weapons right?" Kokichi asked. "I know you guys took those space blaster gun thingies with you. I think it was so I couldn't have them. So mean!"  
"They're called stun guns! They send concentrated beams of light into the enemy!"  
"So you can't kill anything? Aw man."  
"No, there's a kill setting-Why am I telling you this!"  
"Rantaro and I have successfully used the weapons." Kirumi said. "Tenko and Gonta have taken the creatures in hand to hand combat."  
"Gonta's hands too big for little gun." Gonta said.   
"I'm covered in gross alien slime!" Tenko wailed. "This is the most disgusting mission ever!"  
"We're doing alright-Miu detonate that pocket grenade-We're doing alright." Rantaro said.  
"Pocket grenade?? Why don't I have any!?" Kokichi protested.   
"That's one fuckin' word for it." Miu sighed heavily. "Ok, get everyone to the back of the hall. I'm gonna blow this thing like a desperate hooker looking for a fix!"  
"Gross." Himiko said. There was the sound of footsteps as everyone moved to the back of the hall, and then a loud explosion.   
"You guys ok?!" Kaito demanded.   
"No." Himiko said. "I'm covered in alien guts."  
"Yeah, we are." Rantaro said. "I think we got em. Miu? How's it looking?"  
"Uh...you want the good news or the bad news?" Miu said in a small voice.  
"Good news." Himiko and Tenko said together.  
"Well, good news is that the explosion drove them all away from us."  
"Yeah, that's good." Kaito said, relaxing.  
"Uh..bad news is that they're heading to you guys. Plus I think yours is the side with all the good info. So you're gonna have to get that while trying to stay alive."  
"WHAT?!" Kaito yelled. Already he could hear the skittering of multiple legs. "Shit, shit everyone move."  
"So I don't have cameras, but I do have heat wave sensors." Kokichi said. "Weird, but it works. I can tell you that you have three little red dots heading your way and...oh. About a hundred of their friends."  
"RUN!" Kaito demanded. His crew of six sprinted out the back door of the lab, further into the ship.  
"Um, why aren't we running away?" Tsmugi asked. "Shouldn't we get back to the shuttle?"  
"No, we still gotta finish the sweep." Kaito said. "Angie, how many more levels are there, and where do we need to go?"  
"We-ell, I'm seriously re-evaluating my knowledge, because I thought I sent team two into a museum of live specimens, but it was a murder zoo instead..."  
"ANGIE!" Kaito yelled. The skittering was getting louder.  
"There are three more levels you need to check. One of which is the transport deck." Angie said. "On the bright side, team two can get to the comms room! Atua is so divine!"  
"I can see something!" Maki yelled. Kaito glanced over his shoulder to see something moving. They were gaining.  
"Ok, what are the other two?" He asked, fighting to keep his voice calm. He could hear Tsmugi whimpering.   
"One of them is a fuel generator." Angie said. "The other is a mystery!  
Before Kaito could press her for details, he heard Kaede scream. A massive six legged thing crested the corner and lunged at her, barely missing.

They looked like giant, deadly beetles. They were bug-like with heavy shells and spiked limbs. They were agile with sharp horns and pincers lining the front, and a scorpion like tail lining the back. Kaito thought he could see gossamer like wings under parts of the shell. If he had to pick a species, he'd say the thing before him was an ungodly combo of a beetle, scorpion, spider, and a knife.  
He grabbed Kaede by the shoulder, shoving her in front of him. "We need to go faster!"  
The bug-thing wasn't very agile. After missing Kaede, it had skidded into the corner they just rounded with a screech.  
"You're coming up on the generator." Angie said. Next three rights."  
"Hey if you make it to the generator, I have a really bad idea." Kokichi said. "But it's less bad then you all getting devoured by hungry bug monsters. So I think we should go for it."  
"I'm willing to take anything at this point." Kaito wheezed.  
"Ok, you gotta make it to the fuel room though."  
"Easier said then done." To Kaito's surprise, Ryoma was at the front of the group. Short legs or not, he was fast.   
"Hey, I think you mean, oh thank you Kokichi, great and powerful leader of us all. You and only you could come up with a plan to save our miserable, unworthy asses-"  
"Save it for when we make it out of here alive." Kaito said.   
"Two more rights." Angie's voice broke in. "Faster, go faster!"  
There was another inhuman screech and another creature lunged, razor sharp pincers lancing inches from Kaito's side. He heard someone scream his name. He couldn't tell who. He had been forced to lunge to the side, slamming himself into the cold, unforgiving metal wall. The impact had hurt far more than he had thought it would, and his ears were ringing.   
Suddenly a strong arm yanked him forward. Kaito stumbled twice, twisting his ankle before gaining his footing. Maki glared back at him. "You're not allowed to die."  
"One more right!" Angie said. "You can do this!"  
"I can't breathe!" Tsmugi wheezed.   
Kaito risked a glance behind his shoulder. Dozens and dozens of the creatures were piling into the hallway, climbing on top of each other, battling to reach the human prey first.   
"Turn! Turn now!" Angie yelled. Kaito saw Ryoma turn sharply into a barely visible doorway. Kaito counted three other forms dart inside, before his arm was nearly yanked from its socket as Maki pulled him through the doorway. The doors slid shut behind them.  
"Alright, don't freak. That was me. But don't get comfy either. I don't think that's gonna hold them. This door is waaaay flimsier than the others." Kokichi said.   
"Great." Kaito sighed. "Now what?"  
"Look around Space boy."

They were certainly in some kind of generator. The room was sweltering. Three massive glowing machines radiated heat. Kaito could hear them pumping. Glowing liquid traveled up clear tubes that lined the metal sides of the generators, being dispersed throughout the ship.  
"Ok, it's really hot." Shuichi said weakly.   
"And it's gonna get a hell of a lot hotter!" Kokichi cheered. "You all see the back door? Get over to it and get ready to run. Not you Space boy. You're the most important part. Got any of those little grenades?"  
"Yes. I'm not giving you one." Kaito said, watching as the rest of his team lined up near the back door. A slamming noise reverberated from the front entrance and Kaito winced.   
"Are they sticky? Like if I stuck one on a wall, would it stay?"  
"Yeah! But I'm not giving you one!"  
"What? I don't want one! I mean I do but-"  
The metal front doors shuddered. Kaito could hear the screeches. "Kokichi!"  
"Stick them on the generators!"  
Kaito sprinted around the room, slapping an explosive on each generator. And then it fully hit him. What was he doing?   
"Wait, hold on. Kokichi no."  
"Kaito yes!"  
"Oh hell no!"  
"Oh hell yes!"  
"Um, can someone explain what's going on?" Tsmugi asked meekly, cutting into the argument.   
"If we detonate those, we're gonna blow up a big part of what's keeping this ship going. I'm willing to bet that the stuff in there is flammable. We're basically going to blow up the ship!"  
Ryoma chuckled. "Cool."  
"No! Not cool! We're not supposed to engage!"  
"Hate to break it to you, but it's blow up the ship or get eaten." Kokichi said. "So! Is everyone there gonna die because you're too scared to blow up a ship or are we gonna do this thing!"  
"What about team two?" Maki asked. Her voice was remarkably calm.  
"Oh, did you think that the entire ship was gonna blow at once? Nahhh, we still have time to check out the mystery floor. Here's how it's gonna work. I'm gonna open the back door and the front doors, you're gonna run and I'm gonna get as many space buggies in there as I can. After that you're gonna pull the trigger. Keep going up to the next level. Check that out, and then go to the transport deck."  
"And we're not going to get fried to crisps how?" Kaede asked.   
"Hopefully the explosion will be contained to the fuel room for a bit. Eventually it'll bust out and begin damaging the rest of the ship. Space pressure and whatevs."  
"You just made that up, didn't you?" Shuichi said."  
"Maybe, maybe not. Just have some faith! I'd give you my list of reasons why I'm the coolest person to ever live, buuuut we kinda have to do this now or never."  
"Ok." Kaito said, jogging into place with his team. "But let it be known that this may actually be the stupidest thing I have ever done."  
"Which one? Blowing up a ship or trusting me?" Kokichi asked innocently. "I guess it doesn't matter. I did say this was a bad idea didn't I? Oh well! Get ready."  
Kaito glanced at the faces of his teammates. "We're ready."  
"Then run."

Kokichi was able to trap a majority of the "space buggies" in the fuel room, something that calmed Kaito's nerves a tiny bit. However, there was still a threat of a massive explosion coming, so he wasn't exactly a picture of calm.   
"Keep going up." Angie said. "You should see another hatch. Climb!"   
"You heard her." Kaito said. "Everyone start climbing." He looked over his shoulder to check for the creatures, but none were seen. Kokichi said he'd set off the grenades when the bugs got close to breaking out. Thankfully, there had been no explosions. Yet.   
"Kaito! Come on!" Kaede called. Kaito hauled himself up the ladder, wincing at a sudden pain in his chest. No, not now. There could not be a worse time for an episode than space vandalism.   
Kaede pulled him up as best she could. "Do you have any idea what this is?"  
"I...have no idea." Kaito said slowly. The team was now in a massive chamber with an even larger screen. "Alien movie theater?"  
"Oh, definitely." Ryoma said. "Hey, I thought the comms room was on the other side of the ship. What's this stuff doing here?"  
Kaito turned his attention to the small, yet perfectly operation comms system. "I dunno. Backups?"  
"No." Shuichi said. "They wouldn't be on if they were backups. The whole point of having a backup is incase the main system carrying the main comm line goes down. Why would a backup be on and connected to the same line?"  
"Ok. So what is it?" Kaede asked.   
"Check who they were talking to." Korekiyo's voice made all six team members jump.   
"What?" Tsmugi asked.  
"There should be a record of the last place contacted." Kiyo said. "Try that screen there. It should show who they last spoke to."  
Kaito carefully turned on the screen. Sure enough, a series of numbers and weird swirls came up. "Is this a comms address?"  
"I believe so." Korekiyo said. "That's strange. Why would there be earthen numbers..."  
"I'd love to figure it out, but I think we gotta keep going." Ryoma said. "Is there anything else to get in here? Sorry, but I kind of want to get the hell off this ship."  
"I suppose not." Kiyo sighed. "It doesn't seem to have any other purpose than a comms room. It does make me feel uneasy though. Mm, that's two things to think about. An uncharted room and a lack of personnel."  
"Yeah, that's right. We haven't seen any alien crew members." Kaede spoke up. "Where are they?"  
"Well, judging from the scans I'm getting, I'm pretty sure they're gone." Kokichi said. "It's like they just jumped ship. Literally I guess. Only other life forms on the ship is team two and the space buggies."  
"So they just abandoned it?" Tsmugi asked, looking around at the empty room.  
"Most likely not." Kiyo said. "If anything, the ship is left unattended on a normal basis. There must not be a large crew. If anything, they're either performing the current abduction, or transporting older captives. They appear to have been using this as a permeant base for some kind of project, but perhaps they finished it."  
"Well that can't be good." Ryoma said. "All the more reason to wrap up here."  
"Okie dokie! So you will climb to the final level. There are most likely spare shuttles. The only things you can do are pilot one of the shuttles back, or die!"  
"I vote shuttle." Maki said, leading the way out of the room. 

It didn't take the team long to find the final hatch. After everyone had climbed it, Kaito closed the metal covering and locked it. Just in case.  
"There are the shuttles." Shuichi said. "Do you think you can fly them?"   
"Guess we're gonna find out." Kaito said, cracking his knuckles. "Everyone in-"  
He never got to finish his sentence. A massive explosion rocked the ship. The floor lurched and everyone was sent flying. Kaito slammed face first into a wall. He could taste blood. Whether that was from the impact or the quickly approaching episode, he was unsure.   
"Is everyone ok?" He heard Kaede ask.   
"I think so." Ryoma said.   
"I'm alright." Maki said.   
"Me too." Shuichi said weakly.   
"Ditto." Kaito said. "Tsmugi, you good?"  
"I...I think my ankle's broken." her voice was tight with pain. "I-it looks twisted...ow..."  
"What the hell was that?" Kaito asked as he made his way over to Tsmugi.  
"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer." Kokichi's voice was slightly staticky. "Nuts, I think the explosion messed with our comms. The signal's weak..."  
Kaito carefully examined Tsmugi's ankle. It was clearly broken, and while painful, thankfully wasn't life threatening.  
"Can you stand?" Kaito asked. Tsmugi shook her head, eyes closed in pain. Her face was pale.   
"Kaito, we gotta go." Shuichi called. No sooner than a few seconds after he had spoken, the ship lurched with a second explosion, and then a third. Kaito clutched Tsmugi to his chest, trying to shield her from further injury. Thankfully these two blasts were smaller.  
"Kaito! Get your ass up and into the shuttle!" Kokichi yelled. "The ship's going down! The explosions are a kind of chain reaction! They're only gonna get bigger and closer!"  
A fourth explosion shook the ship, tossing Kaito and Tsmugi like rag dolls. He heard Kaede scream their names.   
"L-leave me." Tsmugi said in a small voice.   
"No way in hell am I doing that." Kaito growled. He struggled to his feet, carefully picking Tsmugi up. "I think the explosion knocked out comms. We might be on our own."  
He had only taken a few steps forward when another explosion detonated, throwing him farther away from the ship. Tsmugi screamed either in terror or in pain.   
"Kaito!" Suddenly the weight of Tsmugi was taken from him. Something clipped onto his belt. He looked up into Maki's eyes as she clipped the rope to Tsmugi's belt.   
"Maki?"  
"We found a tow line in the shuttle. I attached myself to it-"  
The fifth and sixth explosions tossed the three across the bay, but thanks to the rope, they didn't go far.   
"Reel us in!" Maki yelled. There was a soft whirring and Kaito felt a gentle tug at his belt. The rope was slowly being reeled back into the shuttle. They only moved a few feet before all three were flung again.   
"Dammit!" Kaito swore. "Is there anything we can do about that?"  
Maki shook her head. "I don't think so. I think we just have to hang on."  
Kaito nodded. "Ok, I guess that's fair. Better bruised then dead."   
Maki nodded, the two barely bracing themselves before being thrown by another three explosions. Tsmugi was curled up into a ball against Maki, eyes still shut tight.   
"They're getting bigger and there's less time between explosions." Maki said, gritting her teeth. "We probably don't have much more time."  
Kaito glanced at the shuttle. They were over half the distance, getting closer with every passing second. There was nothing left to do but hope. They could try getting to their feet, but they would just be knocked down again by the next explosion.   
"Wait." Kaito said, feeling his insides go cold. "What about team two? We have to go back!" He fumbled with his belt but Maki slapped his hand away from it.  
"There's nothing we can do for them now. Hopefully they were warned about the explosion and had time to get out. Even if they are here, we can't do anything. It's not worth getting ourselves blown up over. They wouldn't want us risking our lives."  
Kaito clenched his fists. "Dammit. You're right..."  
Maki faced him, staring into his eyes. "You need to believe. Believe that they're ok."  
Their eye contact was broken by the next explosion, the biggest yet. Thankfully this one threw them closer to the shuttle.   
"Go!" Kaito yelled, scrambling to his feet. With Maki's help he sprinted the last few feet and lifted Tsmugi into the shuttle. Maki was climbing in when the next explosion rocked them. Kaito felt himself falling away from the shuttle-  
Something caught his leg, and he looked up to se Shuichi clinging to him for dear life. Kaito grinned. He could see Kaede holding onto Maki by the waist, and Ryoma steadying Tsmugi. Once the explosion settled he was able to pull himself into the shuttle before the next explosion.   
"They're getting really close." Kaede said. "We need to go now. Can you fly this?"  
"Let's hope so." Kaito said, moving the thruster. Thankfully, the engine roared to life and the ship hovered a few inches off the ground. The shuttle sealed shut around them. 

The biggest explosion yet shook the ship like a toy around them, but as the shuttle was no longer connected to the floor, the effects on the team were minimal.   
"How do we get out?" Ryoma said. "We're locked in."  
Kaito's momentary elation vanished. The tennis pro was right. "Crap. Anyone see a space garage door opener or something?"  
"Here." Tsmugi said faintly, handing him what appeared to be a garage door opener. Kaito stared at it.   
"Be confused later, I know I will." Ryoma said. "But we gotta go!"  
Kaito pointed the remote at the blank wall before him, and to his great relief, it began to slide open, revealing the expanse of space once more.   
But this elation faded too, as the next explosion halted the doors.   
"What happened?!" Kaede yelled.  
"The doors probably shorted out." Kaito said, smacking his fist on the dashboard. They were so close...  
He could see Shuichi's terrified expression. The detective was seated in the co-pilot's chair next to him. No, he wasn't giving up. He owed it to his teammates to get them out alive. "Ok, I'm gonna go for it. Just like threading a needle. Hold on!"  
"Threading a needle..." Tsmugi said softly, before Kaito hit the thruster and the team was shoved back in their seats.  
"Kaito, I don't think we're going to make it." Kaede said. "The opening's too small."  
"We're gonna make it." Kaito said, speeding up.  
"I think she's right. It's too small." Maki said, digging her nails into her seat.   
"We're gonna make it." Kaito said again, pushing the shuttle to it's limits.   
"Kaito" Shuichi said nervously.   
"Trust me sidekick." Kaito said, shooting him a quick smile. "We're gonna get outta here. You just gotta believe!!"  
Kaito twisted the controls at the last moment, flipping the ship sideways, and slipping through the opening, his team screaming.   
"It's ok!" he laughed. "We're ok!"  
"We are?" Kaede asked. "Woah, we made it!"  
"I keep telling you." Kaito said. "You gotta believe!"   
And then the ship exploded. 

The once mighty space mushroom went up in a silent cloud of flame that vanished as soon as it entered the oxygenless expanse of space. The tiny shuttle was flung as the force of the explosion rippled outward.   
"HOLD ON!" Kaito yelled, yanking the controls, trying desperately to get the shuttle under control. It felt like hours when he finally forced the shuttle out of its frenzied spin, despite it only being a few seconds.  
Kaito looked back at the mass of rubble that used to be the Imperial ship. "Everyone ok?"  
"I think I'm gonna throw up." Shuichi mumbled. The rest of the team spoke their agreement.   
"We did it." Kaede said. "We actually made it out of there alive."  
"Kokichi was right." Maki sighed. "That was a terrible idea."  
"We'll beat him up together when we get back." Kaito said. He felt incredible. He was sure it was just the adrenaline, but at that moment he felt like he was capable of doing anything.  
"Deal." Ryoma said, taking a deep breath. "Wow. We're somehow not dead."  
"Look!" Kaede said, pointing at the outline of their ship. "There's the others!"  
"You don't think they'll shoot us down will you?" Shuichi asked nervously. "We're in an alien ship after all."  
"Nah. I think we're ok...oh shit." Kaito said, as their ship revealed an artillery of weapons pointed at them.   
"Ten seconds until launch." a robotic voice said. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six"  
Kaito looked frantically at his team. They looked frantically back.   
"Five, four, three, two-"  
"Just kidding!" Kokichi's voice replaced the countdown. "I tooootally fooled you didn't I! Oh my god you should have seen your faces!! In unrelated news, I found how to work the weapons system. Pretty scary huh?"  
"Kokichi. I am going to kill you." Kaito said weakly.   
"Yeah yeah, sure you are. We're opening the bay door now. Maybe do some vocal exercises because when you get in here you're gonna be singing my praises for hours!"  
"Or you'll be singing soprano when I kick you where it hurts." Maki said, a deadly glint in her eye.   
It was a weird time to do so, but Kaito laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you guys are enjoying reading it. If you've read this far, thank you so much. I hope everyone reading this has a lovely day.


	7. Team Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Sorry for the late update!! My schedule just changed and I'm compensating for it. Thanks for the sweet comments! I can't remember the user of who sent it, but thank you!! I'm glad you like my writing for those three. I adore Kiyo and I want the best for him XD  
> Writing Kokichi is super fun and I'm so glad I do him justice!!  
> Writing Shuichi well came as a surprise tbh, I've never written him before and was afraid I was screwing it up, but I'm happy it's turning out well!!
> 
> Anyways, I'm talking too much. Here's the new chapter, I hope you enjoy!!

The next fifteen minutes after returning to the ship was a whirlwind. Between hugs, an attempt on Kokichi's life, happy reunions, and a quick trip to the bathroom to finally cave to previously mentioned episode, Kaito felt like he had been through a war. Now at least he was able to relax. Angie had taken initiative and sat everyone down to review the body cam footage. She stated that it was the best way to see what the other team had been up to. Kaito found himself agreeing, as well as being happy about being able to sit.   
Throughout the team one video, team two watched quietly, and save from a few swears from Miu at appropriate parts, it was quiet. Kaito thought that team two was in their own stage of recovery, Himiko especially. She was refusing to be alone, especially in the dark.   
Kaito felt himself sitting on the edge of his seat when Angie switched to the team two footage. The rest of the crew seemed exhausted and pleased the ordeal was over, but Kaito felt strangely alive. He wanted to see what else the alien ship was hiding, even if the only view he would get was from a video.   
The footage had been hastily spliced together by Angie, and switched body cam views depending on who had the best shot of the action. The video, like team one's, began in the transport pod as team two prepared to depart for the ship. In the corner there was a small label marked, Amami. R. At least it was easy to discern who's camera was being used.

"Ok. Let's all take a deep breath." Rantaro's calm voice was the first thing to pick up on audio. "We're gonna be just fine. In and out. Quick and easy."  
"If you say so." Tenko said nervously. She was seated next to Himiko, hunched protectively over the redhead's chair. Himiko seemed to scared to mind.   
"Gonta will protect friends." Gonta said. "But Gonta's seatbelt is tight, so Gonta would like to leave soon."  
Rantaro laughed. "Alright then, no time like the present. Miu, take us out."  
"Uh, ok." The girl genius's voice was slightly shaky. "I should have had you all sign a waver or something." Miu carefully slid the shuttle out of the ship and out into the stars.   
"Oooh." Gonta said. "Like lightning bugs but bigger."  
"Look Himiko! It's almost like magic!" Tenko said, clearly trying her hardest to distract Himiko. Himiko slowly leaned forward, and seemed to relax a little as she watched the stars.   
Kirumi sat calmly, hands clasped in her lap, focused on her teammates. Kaito assumed Rantaro was also facing them, due to the camera view. Miu wasn't currently visible, but he could hear her muttering about cheap designs.   
The only interesting part of the ride came when Miu indeed crashed the shuttle into the wall of the alien ship. The footage shook sharply, before switching to Kirumi's camera.   
"Miu!" Tenko yelled. Himiko wailed.   
"I'M TRYING!" Miu snapped, backing up, and sliding into the ship on her second try.   
"Everyone ok?" Rantaro asked. He seemed calm, but he was clutching the back of his seat tightly.   
"I want to go home." Himiko sniffled. "I want my mom. I want a hug."  
"If that is what you request, than I will gladly provide." Kirumi said, giving Himiko a hug that radiated maternal protection, even through a screen.   
As the crew climbed out of their ship, Kaito could hear his own voice as a part of the first conversation they had upon entering the ship.  
"Where's shuttle B?"  
"We're here." Rantaro said, helping Himiko out of the shuttle. "We had some trouble getting in. Miu hit the side of the bay-"  
Miu flinched, face turning scarlet before yelling "I've never fucking flown one of these before!"  
Rantaro bent down to examine a back thruster, which was slightly dented and giving off small sparks. "One of our thrusters is a little sparky, but I think we'll be ok."  
The video continued through the count off. Gonta began to wander down a hallway, before being called back by Rantaro. 

Kaito watched as team two carefully made their way through the winding halls, looking for the comms. Himiko stuck close to Kirumi in the back, while Kirumi and Rantaro lead the front. It was silent until Himiko let a small squeak, stumbling over something unseen. Kirumi easily guided her back to her feet.   
"You alright?" Rantaro asked.   
"Jesus! Don't do that! I thought we ran into something scary." Miu snarked.   
"I tripped." Himiko said, nudging something with her foot.   
"Don't touch that!" Miu snapped, pulling her away before bending down to examine it. "I swear, I'm working with a bunch of fuckwads-Uh oh."  
"What?" Rantaro said quickly. Himiko went pale. Before anyone else could speak, Gonta visibly straightened.   
"Gonta hear something."  
Team two stood silently, and before long, Kaito could hear the familiar skittering noises.   
"Hey, so I think you tripped something." Kokichi said. "I think some doors just opened, and the ones behind you closed."  
"Move." Rantaro ordered. "Can you see what's coming?"  
"Nope, sorry. Only cams in the entire place are with you guys. I'm sure it's something friendly though. And cute! Space puppies or whatevs."  
"Space puppies?" Himiko perked up a bit.   
And that was when the first creature rounded the corner with a screech.  
"THAT'S NOT A SPACE PUPPY!" Tenko screeched.   
There was a blur motion and Gonta moved forward, grabbing the head of the creature and punching it until it fell to the ground, mutilated. Now Kaito could see that it wasn't one of the creatures. It was smaller and silvery. It was some kind of robot.   
"Holy-Gonta, you ok?" Rantaro asked.   
"Gonta protect friends." Gonta said proudly. Miu made her way over to the wreckage.   
"Is everything ok?" Angie's voice could be heard over Miu's tinkering.   
"Yeah, this is some kinda trippy security drone." Miu said. "I've never seen anything like it before. I could make a few guesses on how it works, but me trying to make it work again would be like a virgin-"  
"Ok, thanks Miu." Rantaro said quickly. "I think we're good now. There was only the one, and Gonta handled it pretty damn well."  
"D-don't give him all the credit!" Tenko said. "I could take one down too! I'll take the next one!"  
"Don't jinx us. Maybe another one won't show up." Himiko said.   
"Either way, let us continue." Kirumi said. "Angie, are we close to our destination?"  
"Mhm! Mhm! Go down that hatch!"  
The camera view switched to Himiko as she stared down the dark hole. While team one had climbed, it seemed that team two would descend. Kaito could see the top of a ladder faintly in the darkness.   
Himiko shuffled back several steps. "I don't wanna."  
"I'll go first." Tenko said.  
"Touch your chest." Rantaro said, as she prepared to climb down. As Rantaro spoke, Tenko perked up like an attack dog.  
"EXCUSE ME? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?"  
Rantaro held up his hands in surrender. "Woah, easy. I meant tap the chest of your suit. It should give you some body lighting."  
"Oh." Tenko relaxed. "Sorry." She tapped the chest of her suit, and it lit up with a small, but steady blue light. 

The camera view switched to Tenko as she climbed down. The footage was shaky, and the only noise was Tenko's breathing, but she had arrived at the bottom within a matter of seconds. She slowly looked around the dark expanse of the hallway before you. "I don't think there are any lights down here!"  
"What? Why?" Rantaro yelled back.   
"I'm not sure-" Tenko's voice faded as the skittering sounded. "Hey, I think there's another drone!"  
"Gonta get down there and help." Rantaro said.   
"I don't need help!" Tenko protested as Gonta climbed down. "I got i-oh shit."  
This was most certainly one of the creatures. It was large, and Kaito realized he hadn't really gotten a good look at them before.   
To Tenko's credit, she didn't back down despite the larger size. The creature eyed her for a moment before screeching. Tenko yelled back before dashing forward, kicking off of the creature's torso, and landing a swift kick to its head. She hit directly under the armor and a splash of blue blood gushed from the wound.   
Tenko rolled to her feet and prepared for more. By that time, Gonta had arrived beside her and both waited for the creature to make a move. It eyed them, hissing, seemingly unsure.   
"What's going on?!" Miu's voice seemed to snap the creature out of whatever limbo it had been in and it lunged. Tenko landed another kick to the same place, and the creature recoiled, allowing Gonta to grip it and tear its head off. A spray of blueish blood coated the surroundings.   
"EEK!" Tenko yelled as it spattered her.   
"Are you idiots dead or not?!" Miu yelled down.  
"It's ok now." Tenko said, attempting to wipe herself off. "If there were more I think they'd show themselves by now.   
One by one, the other four members climbed down.   
"I can't get comms with anyone." Rantaro said. "So I think we're pretty much on our own for now."  
"There is only one hallway, so I assume we are still on the same track." Kirumi said. "Hopefully by the time we reach more options, we'll have communications back.   
"Ok. Let's go." Rantaro said. The team moved forward, all except for Gonta, who was kneeling on the ground.   
"Hey, Gonta, come on!" Tenko called. Gonta looked up with tears in his eyes.  
"It was alive. Gonta hurt living thing."  
That made the team stop. Rantaro was the first to speak again. "It was attacking us, we didn't have a choice. Besides, it's part of the enemy. You also didn't even know it was alive.   
Gonta nodded sadly, before standing up and following his teammates. 

The walk to the comms room was fairly quiet. No one spoke, although Kaito could see how worried they were. Upon entering the comms room, they began documenting everything they could. Unlike the comms room team one had found, this one was large and elaborate, with no trace of any recognizable symbols.   
"Well, I think we got it all." Tenko said finally. She hadn't stopped glancing over her shoulder since the encounter with the creature.   
"So do those fuckers just roam around normally? Or did Himiko tripping do this?"  
"I bet it was magic." Himiko said.  
"Perhaps they are a sort of security system. They are released into the ship to presumably take out any intruders." Kirumi said.   
"Hell of a security system." Miu grumbled. "So, what now? We found the comms. Any luck with Angie?"  
"No." Rantaro said. "There's only a little static. Mostly silence."  
"So...what do we do?" Himiko asked.   
"We can keep going." Rantaro said. "I don't think this is the lowest floor. Maybe there will be something else that's more useful."  
"Ok, I mean, no one has any other ideas." Tenko shrugged.   
"I think we should go home." Himiko said.   
"I don't think we can go back the way we came." Rantaro said. "Kokichi mentioned doors closing, meaning that our enterance route might be closed off now."  
"We're gonna die." Himiko said sadly.  
"No, we're not gonna die." Rantaro said. "It's just one more reason why we should keep going. We're going to make it out. I promise."  
"Ok." Gonta said. That seemed to settle it for everyone, because the team exited the comms room and headed down the hallway. 

It only got darker. The team was forced to illuminate their lights on their suits, and although the light did help, it barely penetrated the darkness around them.   
Himiko was visibly trembling. Gonta still seemed upset over the alien.   
"Do we have any idea where we're going?" Tenko asked.   
"Uh, obviously not." Miu said.   
Rantaro was trailing his hand along the wall next to them. "Good news is that it's a straight walk back to the comms room. If we do need to double back, it'll be pretty easy to."  
"Why is this part of the ship powered down?" Himiko spoke up. "There was light upstairs."  
"That is a good question." Kirumi said. "Aren't comms a vital part of any operation? Wouldn't powering them down leave the occupants of this ship at a disadvantage?"  
"Speaking of, where are they?" Miu said. "The only freakshow we saw didn't resemble the pictures we saw at all. They're all super freaky and bug like, but these ones were on four legs. The others were humanoid."  
"Bugs not freaky!" Gonta protested.   
"We can rule out the creature we saw being a member of the dominant alien species. I would assume it was a version of an animal." Kirumi said.   
"Real fugly pet." Miu grumbled.   
"Bugs not freaky." Gonta said sadly. 

Team two walked for a few more moments in silence, the lights from their suits the only source of visibility.   
"Ew, what the hell is that?" Miu said, sounding disgusted. "The fact that I can smell something with a fucking helmet on-"  
"Wait, hold on." Rantaro said, holding out his hand. Himiko walked into him.  
"Ugh, I smell it too." Tenko said. "What the heck even is-"  
A skittering sound could be heard a little ways into the distance. Everyone tensed.   
"My assumption is that the scent originates from fecal matter." Kirumi said softly.   
"So we're smelling SPACE SHIT?" Miu yelled.  
"Shh!" Rantaro hissed. The skittering paused for a moment. Everyone held still, although Himiko could be heard whimpering.   
"Ok." Rantaro said finally. "I think we should try to head back to the comms-"  
There was a screech and the camera view whirled upward. A creature was hanging from the ceiling, two others slightly behind it.   
"RUN!" Rantaro yelled, yanking Himiko with him. The creature screamed and gave chase, dropping from the ceiling with a thunk, blocking off the way that they had come.   
The camera footage was shaky and hard to see, mainly because team two was sprinting. Kaito could hear their ragged breaths, Himiko still whimpering.   
There was a skidding sound and a yelp as Miu suddenly pitched forward.   
"Miu!" Tenko yelled.   
"Oww, what the fu-" the camera switched to Miu, and provided a crisp down view of a dark, viscous material spread over her hands and suit.   
"Fecal matter." Gonta said.   
"EW! AGH!" Miu shrieked. "OH MY GOD I'M GONNA THROW UP!"  
"I would not recommend that in a spacesuit." Kirumi said.   
Gonta picked up Miu before returning to the front of the group. He was abnormally fast, Kaito noticed.   
"Test four hundred and seventy nine." Kokichi's static ridden voice could be heard. "Test four hundred and sevent-"  
"KOKICHI!" Tenko yelled. "HELP!"  
"Huh? Oh hey! Got em!" Kokichi yelled. "Wait no Kiiboy don't you fucking think about moving. You're heavy and I took forever getting you into that pose-"  
"Hello!" Angie said cheerfully. "What are you up to?"  
"I'M COVERED IN BUG SHIT!" Miu yelled.   
"Oh my, that's certainly-"  
"We're being perused by three hostile alien lifeforms." Kirumi broke in. "Any aid would be appreciated."  
"Can't Gonta just fight em?" Kokichi asked.  
"I'm useful too!" Tenko protested.   
"Gonta no can handle three." Gonta said. "And Gonta no want to hurt living things."  
"Fiiine, I'll help you." Kokichi said. "There are heaters in the walls. I hope your suits can handle extreme temperature changes."  
"Do it." Rantaro said. Himiko could be heard wheezing behind him.   
"There is a small room off to your left. Take shelter there." Angie added.   
"Ok, get ready. Gonna barbeque some bugs in three, two, one-"  
The camera picked up the heatwaves wavering off the walls as the chamber heated up, illuminating the hallway in a red glow. Team two ducked into the small room, door sliding shut behind them.   
"Everyone ok?" Rantaro asked.   
"No." Miu growled.   
"No." Himiko wheezed.   
Gonta set Miu down gently, before turning to Rantaro. "Gonta no want to fight them."  
"I know, I know." Rantaro said. "Hopefully Kokichi's stunt with the heaters will do something."  
"Yeah, about that." Kokichi said. "Well, it didn't kill em, it just chilled them out ironically. Get it? Chilled? Cause I-"  
"Yes, thank you, we get it." Kirumi said. "Are we free to move?"  
There was only static in response.   
"Dammit!" Rantaro swore. "We lost signal again."  
"I think we should run for it." Tenko said. "If they're calm now, they might not chase us."  
"No, no more running." Himiko groaned.   
"Gonta will carry Himiko." Gonta said.   
"Alright, so it's settled? Everyone good with going now?"  
"I haven't been good since I fell in bug shit." Miu said. "I didn't even know bugs could shit!"  
"We are prepared to go." Kirumi said.   
Rantaro slowly pried the doors open, giving Kaito a view of all three creatures, extremely chilled out as Kokichi had said. They were laying down, seemingly blissful. Team two crept out of the room before running down the hallway once more. The creatures didn't give chase. 

"Great. Now I owe Kokichi." Miu sighed. Kaito had decided that she was incapable of being quiet for more than two minutes.   
"We all do." Rantaro said. "But that's not the point. I think we should just focus on getting out of here. This area is clearly equipped for the creatures, meaning this is their territory."  
"Great, we walked right into the zoo of death." Miu sighed. "Hope people come to my funera-"  
A massive creature, the biggest once seen yet, dropped from the ceiling, snatching Himiko from Gonta. About twenty others followed it.   
"HIMIKO!" Tenko screamed, running at the creature. Gonta was knocked aside by its mandibles.   
A blue bolt of electricity narrowly missed the massive creature, slamming into the one behind it, dropping the creature with a squawk.  
"My apologies. I missed." Kirumi said, lowering her Stun Gun.   
"Is it dead?" Gonta whimpered.  
"No, I set it to stun." Kirumi sighed. "If your request is to leave them alive, then I will fulfill it."  
"Oh yeah! Guns!" Miu said, drawing hers and firing wildly into the mass of space bugs.   
"Don't hit Himiko!" Tenko yelled.   
Miu didn't seem to hear her. "STUPID MOTHERFUCKING WHORE-ASS ABORTION SCUM! I'LL-"  
Once again, Kaito heard his own voice. "Miu, can you hear us?"  
"WHAT? OH HEY! LINES ARE BACK UP! EVERYONE STOP MOVING!"   
Kaito assumed she'd said it to try and keep signal, but it was a pretty hard task to fulfill at that moment.   
"Hey Kaito." Rantaro said. He had drawn his own Stun Gun and was trying to open a path to Himiko for Tenko.   
"Jesus! What's happening?" Kaito heard himself say.   
"We, um, seem to have entered some kind of on board menagerie." Rantaro said.   
Kaito watched in horror as the massive creature holding Himiko tossed her into the air...  
And swallowed her.   
Tenko screamed. "ONE OF THEM ATE HIMIKO!" She looked around desperately. "GONTA HELP ME TEAR IT OPEN!"  
Gonta and Tenko rushed the creature as Miu, Rantaro, and Kirumi provided backup fire. With an enraged yell, Tenko unleashed a barrage of blows on the vulnerable parts of the creature. She was small and fast enough to dodge the pincers and get under the shell. The distraction of her actions gave Gonta the chance to get to the creature, grip its head, and pull.  
The creature screeched as Gonta tore its head off, spattering the surroundings with its dark blood. Kaito watched in awe as Tenko reached into the alien's now headless body, before slowly climbing in.  
"I...honestly don't know how to explain." Rantaro said.   
"Gonta has torn head off of alien. That was not gentlemanly of Gonta." Kaito heard Gonta say.   
Tenko slowly emerged from the alien body, dragging out a terrified, slime covered Himiko.   
"It was so dark..."  
"There!" Miu said, pointing to a panel. "That looks useful." Rantaro and Miu ran over to examine it, as Gonta, Kirumi and Tenko continued to keep the creatures at bay. Himiko ran around, terrified, trying to stay out of harms way. "Tenko, Gonta and myself are keeping them at bay while Miu and Rantaro gather intel." Kirumi reported. "Himiko is trying to stay alive."  
"Nyeh...it's not going well..."  
"Rantaro and I have successfully used the weapons." Kirumi said. "Tenko and Gonta have taken the creatures in hand to hand combat."  
"Gonta's hands too big for little gun." Gonta said, as he tore at more creatures.   
"I'm covered in gross alien slime!" Tenko wailed, as she tried to wipe off the slime she'd acquired while rescuing Himiko. "This is the most disgusting mission ever!"  
"We're doing alright-Miu detonate that pocket grenade-We're doing alright." Rantaro said, seemingly trying to convince himself.   
"That's one fuckin' word for it." Miu sighed heavily. "Ok, get everyone to the back of the hall. I'm gonna blow this thing like a desperate hooker looking for a fix!"  
"Gross." Himiko said.  
Miu ran and slapped a pocket grenade on a wall near the bugs, before sprinting back to her crewmates at the back of the hallway. A massive explosion cut off the camera feed, before resuming as Kaito demanded if everyone was alright.  
"No." Himiko said. "I'm covered in alien guts."  
"Yeah, we are." Rantaro said. "I think we got em. Miu? How's it looking?"  
"Uh...you want the good news or the bad news?" Miu said in a small voice, looking like she was about to be slapped.   
"Good news." Himiko and Tenko said together.  
"Well, good news is that the explosion drove them all away from us." Miu said, looking at her hands.   
"Yeah, that's good." Kaito heard himself say.   
"Uh..bad news is that they're heading to you guys. Plus I think yours is the side with all the good info. So you're gonna have to get that while trying to stay alive." Miu said, staring at her shoes.   
Kaito heard himself and his team panicking before the comms were replaced with Kiyo's voice.  
"I believe I have determined where you are. Angie had it marked as a "Live Specimen Containment Center, which I suppose was accurate...Nevertheless, I know where you are. Keep going straight."  
"Did I just kill team one?" Miu said in a small voice.   
"No, not yet." Kiyo responded.   
"Jeez, this guy is brutally honest." Tenko said.   
"I can hear you." Kiyo said bluntly. "And personally, I don't think this is the time to sugarcoat, but if you insist."  
"Finally. Some positivity." Tenko sighed.   
"I'm sure you're so pleased with the encounter with the beautiful fauna of this remarkable ship, on this enchanting mission-"  
"Ok, stop." Tenko snapped. "Point made." Himiko giggled. Kaito found himself smiling too. Kiyo apparently did have a personality, and a fairly sassy one at that.   
"Very well. Go forward."

Team two followed Korekiyo's instructions for a few moments, traveling through more creature-friendly rooms.   
"There is breeding center. And there is feeding chamber." Gonta said brightly. He seemed to be enjoying this. "And there is nursery, and there is-"  
"Ok, thank you Gonta." Tenko said. "How much longer until we get out of here?"  
"Let me check my schedule-"  
"Enough! No more sarcasm." Tenko sighed.   
"Gonta! Don't go in there!" Rantaro yelled. Gonta slipped out of a nearby room, looking guilty.   
"Well, Kokichi is going to blow up the ship so-"  
"I said no more sarcasm!"  
"I'm being serious." Kiyo said. "Fortunately for you, this section of the ship is a loop. Keep going straight, then climb up the hatch. Take the next three rights, and you will return to your shuttle."  
"Kokichi is gonna do what?!" Tenko yelled.   
"Ah, hold on. I need to examine that..."   
"Ok, come on." Rantaro said. "Let's keep going."  
"Here, have a gps." Kokichi's voice could be heard.   
"I am not a gps, although I do have those functions." Kiibo's voice could be heard too. "Hello everyone."  
"Hi." Rantaro said.   
"I'm currently processing several digital tons of data, but I believe I divide my consciousness to help aid you as well."  
"That's creepy." Himiko said.   
"I-I'm not trying to be!" Kiibo wailed.   
"Talk later." Miu said. "Straight yeah?"

Under Kiibo's guidance, team two quickly made it back to their shuttle, which somehow looked worse.   
"Riiiight, I forgot about that." Miu said. "Gimme a sec, I can fix it."  
"I need to go to the bathroom." Himiko said, looking around.  
"I do not think that there is a bathroom that would suit your needs." Kiibo said.   
Miu kicked the thruster. "Work dammit!" it slowly rumbled to life. "Ah-haha! I've got the magic touch!"  
Rantaro eyed it skeptically for a moment, before deciding. "Alright, let's try it."  
Team two piled into the shuttle, and Miu guided it out of the alien ship. It was mainly a smooth ride, save for a terrifying moment when the thruster shorted out, jerking the shuttle wildly.   
Miu swore and yanked the controls, leveling out the ship.   
"I don't need to go to the bathroom anymore." Himiko peeped.   
Soon, the glided back into the main ship.   
"Well, mission success?" Miu asked. "I gotta fix this piece of shit for real..."  
Himiko shakily climbed out of the shuttle. "I don't wanna do that again."  
Team two wandered down through the ship until they found the communications room. Kokichi was animatedly yelling directions to blow things up. Kiibo was in an admittedly ridiculous position. "Kokichi said I get the best signal like this." he explained as he caught team two staring.   
The video ended on a shaky shot of Angie, who appeared to be praying, and Kiyo, who was tugging on his hair, muttering as he poured over images of the strange alien language. 

"And scene!" Angie said, switching off the footage.   
"Uh, Himiko, you ok?" Kaito asked.   
Himiko nodded. "It was scary, but I've seen worse. Magic can be scary."  
"Himiko's so brave!" Tenko gushed.   
"Good job guys." Kaito said, clapping Rantaro on the back.   
"Yeah, that was only mildly a disaster!" Kaede said.   
"We still got a long ways to go, but we didn't do too bad." Ryoma said.   
"How charming." The woman's voice played overhead, and everyone picked up on the discernable change. Her voice wasn't flat, it was angry.   
"Uh, hi?" Tsmugi said.  
"I hope you're pleased. You've single handedly destroyed every rule and possibly doomed everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner, sorry again for the late update. I hope you guys enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope everyone reading this has an amazing day!!


	8. Cold Shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw for mentions of ab*se! Stay safe friends!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I think this time I'm sticking to a pretty decent update schedule! I'm currently writing three different fics right now, and I'm thinking about opening a tumblr for requests. I'll see how that goes, but I'm definitely prioritizing this story as well as the other main three. Thank you for bearing with my general upload insanity, almost 200 views!! Thank you so much!! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!!

Kaito and most of the crew was stunned into silence. Kokichi however only laughed. Honestly this shouldn't have surprised Kaito, but he found himself admiring the confidence.   
"Oh no, that's like, super terrifying. Someone hold me!" He exclaimed, giving the crew a terrified look before laughing again. "I'm like, shaking in my space boots."  
"How exactly is this funny, Mr. Ouma?" the woman asked. Kaito couldn't see her, but he assumed she was narrowing her eyes.   
"It's funny cause you send us up here as a last ditch effort to stop the space invaders, but when we do something to stop the space invaders, you get all bitchy."  
"We are not prepared for a confrontation!"  
"Well get ready. Lucky for you there weren't any aliens on the ship. Well, not smart ones anyways." Kokichi looked at his nails. "We done here?"  
"Do you understand what you have done?!" The woman was practically screeching. "You have singlehandedly ruined plans that have been in motion for years!"  
"Cry me a river." Kokichi sighed. "And when you're done, I got some questions for you."  
"You are not authorized to ask for information."  
"And why's that? Scared we're gonna realize you're a controlling bitch? You're so mean! I hate you!"  
Kaito stared. The aggression Kokichi was showing faded into a childish whine. Was he just trying to get on the woman's nerves?  
The woman seemed to relax, judging by the tone of her next words. "I am alright with being a bitch. Now I need you all to listen carefully-Mr. Shinguji, where are you going?"  
"To work." Kiyo said bluntly. "There is nothing in this conversation that interests me."  
"The entire human race-"  
Kiyo laughed, a surprisingly hair raising sound. "Will be just fine. I highly doubt one destroyed craft will call for a war. Not yet anyways. Regardless, humanity is almost parasitic in its will to live. Humanity will not perish. Not yet. Perhaps every individual we all hold dear with die terribly, but humanity itself will live on. How beautiful."  
For the first time, the woman seemed stunned into silence. Kaito understood her feelings. First Korekiyo had seemed to sympathize with the aliens, and now he was calling humanity "parasitic" and showing no distress over millions dying?  
"Oooh, that's suuuper freaky to think about." Kokichi said. "Oh! Hey I got it! You don't have any leverage on him either! He's like me!"  
Kaito had no idea what Kokichi was talking about and judging by the looks of his crewmates, no one else did either.   
Kiyo sighed before speaking. "I do not care for your doomsday predictions. I for one will better spend my time working instead of crying. Unless you have anything to specifically say to me, do not bother seeking my attention." with that he left, leaving the stunned crew and equally stunned woman to watch.   
"Yup, I'm out too. Have fun guys." Kokichi said, jumping up. "I'm gonna go sleep or something. Or build a little memorial for humanity."  
The woman was silent for a few moments after Kokichi left. Kaito assumed that she wasn't used to not being obeyed, and it was possible the entire administration hadn't counted on anyone not obeying.   
"Let's make something very clear." the woman said. "Disregard basic orders again and the first of a series of consequences will be issued. Mr. Momota. Please step into the hallway. I wish to speak to you alone. 

Swallowing hard, Kaito slowly made his way over. The woman had retained her hold over them, and Kaito couldn't shake the feeling of being very, very small. Once the doors slid shut, cutting Kaito off from his crew, the woman spoke.   
"As you are the captain of this mission, we have decided to present you with additional information. It is highly classified and sharing it with other members of the crew will result in additional punishment. Understood?"  
"Yeah. Understood." Kaito said. A screen in the hallway flickered on, showing a picture of his grandparents. While the familiar sight should have made his heart swell, he suddenly felt sick.   
"In addition to the mission, you and your crewmates are the subject of a social experiment, the exact details of which will not be given as to preserve the results. Although we were certain that all orders would be followed to the letter, we devised a series of consequences designed to keep you and your peers on track. The actions today have proven that we will now launch the consequences, starting with the abduction and torture of loved ones."  
"Wait, what the fuck!" Kaito yelled. "Hold on!"  
"Relax Mr. Momota." The woman said, as if she had delivered mildly bad news. "You have been cooperative. The only two eligible for punishment would not be affected by this. For now, your loved ones are safe."  
For now. The message was clear. Behave or else.   
"We considered a group punishment, punishing you all for the action of one, but in this case we have decided to hold off on that as that would also hold no effect on Mr. Ouma and Mr. Shinguji. You are very lucky Mr. Momota."  
Kaito's chest hurt, and not from the Plague. He felt sick, angry, horrified.   
"We are on your side." The woman said soothingly. "That is why we have given you this chance. Control your crew and nothing has to happen. Can you do that?"  
"Yeah." Kaito said, clenching his fists.   
"Excellent. Let us hope this never happens again. Your grandparents send their love." with that, the audio clicked off. Kaito returned to his crew, feeling nauseous.   
"Are you ok?" Kaede asked.   
Kaito forced a smile on his face. "Yeah, totally fine. I talked it over with the boss lady. We're in the clear but we shouldn't pull anything like that again. Everyone take some down time. You've earned it."  
Kaito quickly turned to leave before his false bravado could crack. 

Kaito had taken a few minutes alone in his room to try and calm his nerves. His grandparents already had suffered so much for his sake, and now their lives were in his hands. No, not just his. There were two people he needed to have a serious talk with.   
Kokichi's room was nearest to his own, and Kaito found himself pounding on the door.  
"Go away, I'm not in here." Kokichi said grumpily.   
"Open the damn door." Kaito said. He was too shaken to say anything else.   
Kokichi opened the door, took a look at Kaito, and grinned. "They showed you huh? Told you they were nasty."  
Kaito shoved Kokichi back inside, closing the door behind him. "Let's make something clear. You're going to listen to me."  
"What? Sorry I wasn't listening." Kokichi said innocently.   
Kaito punched the wall, making Kokichi jump. "I'M SERIOUS MAN! THEY'RE THREATENING MY FAMILY! My family." He finished weakly. "All because you won't get with the program."  
For a split second, Kokichi almost looked guilty. Then he shrugged. "That sucks, but what am I gonna do about it? They're not my grandparents."  
"You bastard." Kaito said. "Are you serious? You don't give a fuck about people dying because you're too much of a stubborn bitch?"  
"Let me tell you something." Kokichi said, crossing his arms. "I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader, and that's no lie. If I gotta kill a few grandparents to get ahead, that's no biggie. I'll light a candle or whatevs."  
"You're disgusting! You're a coward!" Kaito could barely get the words out.   
"And you're an idiot. This is what you do? You saw the truth dimwit! And you went right back to believing in the bad guys. Anyways, get out of my room. Bye bye, have a good day." Kokichi said, shooing him out.   
Kaito's entire body felt weak with shock and anger. He'd never thought of Kokichi fondly, but this ruined any chance of ever liking him. To think he was selfish enough to risk Kaito's family...  
"Um, Kaito, you ok?" He looked up to see Shuichi.   
"Yeah, I'm fi-"  
"Do you wanna talk?"   
Kaito was mildly surprised that Shuichi had cut him off. It was something, although the detective still kept his eyes on the floor. "Yeah, guess I do."

Shuichi listened calmly as Kaito told him everything, even things he'd been told not to tell the others. Kaito could hear his voice shaking with anger when he spoke about his encounter with Kokichi.   
"I can't deny what he's saying is awful." Shuichi said slowly. "And by no means am discounting it, but from what I've seen he always acts with a purpose."  
"What purpose could that possibly serve!"   
"I don't agree with his methods, ok? But now we know that there's some serious consequences lined up for us. I think he might have figured it out, what they were planning. And this is his way of showing us."  
"And he couldn't have just told us?"  
"Would you believe him? Even if he wasn't a liar, would you believe him?" Shuichi asked. "I wouldn't. I wouldn't want to. I'd have to see it like you did. I don't agree with his actions, but he accomplished something."  
Kaito nodded. "Guess so. Dammit. God, I'm an idiot aren't I. I mean, look at me." He laughed bitterly. "Flying around space acting like everything's fine. Just because I want to achieve my dream."  
"You're not an idiot. I'm the detective. I should have looked at the evidence." Shuichi said. "Ignoring the truth is too easy..."  
Kaito took a deep breath. "Ok, it's neither of our faults. But we can keep going and change things. We just gotta believe in ourselves."  
Shuichi looked up at him. "A-are you serious? With the believing again?"  
Kaito grinned. "Of course! Don't get me wrong, I feel like I've been run over by a train, but I gotta believe in us if I'm gonna keep going. And you should too."  
Shuichi nodded. "Ok, I don't know how much help I'll be, but-"  
"Actually, I think you'll be a lot of help." Kaito said. "It'll be like an investigation."  
"How so?"  
"Well first we're gonna start by talking to the other witness."

Kaito had to admit, the Ultimate labs were cool. He'd looked inside a few, and most were reasonably bare with only equipment, but Korekiyo's had been completely transformed. Notes and sketches lined the walls. Books were splayed open to specific pages with more scrawled notes. It looked as if he'd been using it for months, not a few days. Kaito carefully reached up to touch some of the notes.  
"Please do not touch anything."   
Kaito nearly jumped out of his skin. Kiyo hadn't been visible when he and Shuichi had entered, but now he had somehow gotten behind them. He seemed irritated.   
"Sorry!" Shuichi said quickly, moving back. Kiyo regarded him with mild interest before turning to Kaito.   
"I assume you want something."  
"Huh? Why?" Kaito asked, still looking around the room.   
"We're hardly friends. I'm hardly the type of person you'd come to merely "hang out with." So what is it?"  
"You're really observant." Shuichi said. "How long have you been working?"  
"On and off since we arrived." Kiyo said. "I'd prefer more time."  
"Well, it's amazing." Shuichi said. "Is all of this just from the stuff we got earlier?"  
"While minimal, yes, I can work with it." Korekiyo said. "I've cross referenced the writing samples with almost every written language known to human kind, and unsurprisingly it's almost completely unique, however my earlier theories of the written language being similar to hieroglyphics seems to be correct. Instead of writing the word for frog, they would draw a symbol for frog. Similar to Asian characters, but more picturesque."   
"Damn." Kaito said. He was impressed. He still had no idea what anthropology was, but he was very impressed.   
"Sorry if I'm wrong, but anthropology is the study of culture, right?" Shuichi said.   
"Yes and no. Social and Cultural Anthropology is the study of human societies, cultures, and the development of said cultures. Forensic or Physical Anthropology is the study of human biological characteristics and evolution."  
"Like the blood." Kaito cut in.  
Kiyo nodded. "My expertise lies with more physical remains, bones and the like. I do not believe I will get far with that. I was in the lab just now, and unfortunately I do not have the needed skills to get any reasonable information from it."   
He spoke with disdain, and Kaito guessed that this was what he was irritated about.   
"What about behavior patterns?" Shuichi asked.   
"Hm? Interesting question. Yes, I feel I have an advanced understanding of human behavior due to my studies."  
"And do you use those skills at all?" Shuichi's voice was becoming stronger with every question, although he still kept his gaze downwards.   
"Yes. I am an analytical person, and I prefer to observe my surroundings and those around me to gain insight."  
"And you knew we were being played with." Kaito finished.   
"And you did not? How interesting. I was right. You're truly a joy to observe."  
Kaito debated making a comment that despite his understanding of human behavior, Kiyo's own behavior was quite strange, but he had a feeling that now wasn't the time.   
"How did you know?" Shuichi asked.   
"Humans are obsessed with control. With horses they placed reins to control their actions. The controlling actions expand to other humans with the likes of slavery, tyranny, dictatorships. Of course these humans want to control us. Naturally we have reins placed on us. It isn't hard to guess what they'll do. Naturally most of us are motivated by our emotional attachments to others, hence their choice to threaten them."  
"And you didn't care about that?" Kaito asked.   
"There's no one left for them to hurt. Not for a few years now." Korekiyo stated calmly. "So therefore those reins have been cut from me."  
"What about the rest of us?" Kaito challenged. "Did you think that your actions might end up with someone else's family getting the axe?"  
"No." it was as blunt as the rest of Kiyo's words, but he sounded the slightest bit regretful. "I chose to not take your families into consideration."  
"WHY?!" Kaito yelled. "Seriously, what's with you! First you literally agree that the aliens are right to kill people-"  
"I never sa-"  
"And now you just "don't consider" other people's families?! What's so important to you that you're willing to risk things? You knew what was happening, and you obviously knew that doing what they wanted would leave everyone alone, but you didn't care!" Kaito had never made the best choices when angry, and what he said next was regrettable. "For all that time you spend studying humans, you barely act like one!"  
Kiyo weaved his fingers through his hair. "And what would you have me do?"  
Unbelievable. He didn't even care Kaito was angry. He heard Shuichi saying his name, but at the moment, he refused to listen.   
"I don't freaking know man, apologize!"  
"What?" Kiyo's fingers tightened around his hair.   
"You heard me didn't you? I said apologize. Apologize!"   
Korekiyo jerked back as if Kaito had slapped him. Finally Kaito had gotten a reaction, but he hadn't been expecting this.   
"Woah hey-"  
Kiyo turned and quickly walked out of the room, muttering under his breath. Kaito turned to follow, but Shuichi grabbed his arm. "Kaito, let him go."  
"What the hell was that about?!" Kaito asked.   
"I think...he's been through something. Something not good." Shuichi said slowly.   
"What?"   
"Um, I could be wrong, but I've seen trauma victims before, talked to a few, and um, anyways he reacted to what could be a trigger word, and he was yanking on his hair, which, um, could be a coping mechanism, and he was repeating that."  
"What?!" Kaito asked, more confused by the minute.   
"Did you not hear what he was saying? He was saying "I'm sorry" over and over." Shuichi said.   
"So what...oh." Kaito said. He cursed himself. Dammit, he really fucked that one up. "Shit, I gotta apologize."  
"Maybe...don't use that word?" Shuichi said. He appeared to be deep in thought.   
"Hey here's a question." Kaito said. "Why'd they send someone unstable up to space?"  
"Yeah. I've been wondering that for a while." Shuichi said.   
"Jesus did you catch on to this earlier? I'm blind aren't I." Kaito groaned.   
"No! No, actually I was thinking about myself, um..."  
"Wait, are you ok?" Kaito asked, examining Shuichi. The detective blushed and took a step back.   
"Yeah, I'm fine, just depression and stuff, um, I don't really want to talk about it, but it's a thought. We noticed the lack of physical training, but wouldn't people normally have to be cleared mentally? In case an environment wasn't safe for them? Um, just a thought."  
Kaito put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it. I don't see you any differently either ok? Anyways, putting a pin in that. You're right. Some of the people here are barely suited to be up here, and honestly Kiyo's one of the better adjusted ones. I mean, look at poor Himiko."  
Shuichi nodded. "Yeah. I don't understand why they'd send her her. Or Kaede. I'm not trying to be offensive!" He added quickly.   
"Hey, you're fine. Do you ever state your opinion without apologizing for it?" Kaito asked.   
"Um, no. Not really."  
"Ok. Well, you're right. Dammit, yeah I've been ignoring the sketchiness haven't I." Kaito said.   
"I think we all have. Well, maybe not Kiyo or Kokichi, but they're still trapped too." Shuichi said. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Ah, sorry, I just thought of something, um, I'll see you later."   
Before Kaito could ask what the hell was up, Shuichi had hurried away. Were all mission leaders this confused by their crew, or was this just him?

Despite Shuichi telling him to wait, Kaito went in search of Korekiyo. He couldn't stand the feeling of knowing that he'd unintentionally hurt someone, and swore to do whatever he could to fix it.   
He found Kiyo alone in the lounge with his tablet. He looked up and regarded Kaito with an almost fearful look before moving to get up.   
"Hey, hey wait!" Kaito said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. This is a batshit crazy situation, and we're all gonna react different."  
"And what obligated you to say that?" the question caught Kaito off guard.   
"Uh, because I wanted to? I didn't want to leave things like that. Look, we got off on the wrong foot. I think I misunderstood like thirty percent of the things you've said, and I'm sorry. I wanna get along with you and I want to trust each other."  
"You're saying this because you want to." Korekiyo said. "How interesting. Aren't you a rare person."  
"Was that an insult?" Kaito asked before he could stop himself.  
"No." Kiyo sounded surprised. "Did it sound like one?"  
"A little." Kaito said. "Sorry."  
"No, my apologies. I realize now my words towards you can be easily misinterpreted." he sighed. "Teamwork has never been one of my skills."  
"Hey, that's totally ok. Like I said, we're all way out of our element."  
"But you're not. This is all you've ever wanted. Naturally you ignorantly believe every obviously coated lie fed to you." he paused. "That sounded insulting, didn't it?"  
Kaito laughed. "It's ok, you're totally right. I've been trusting the wrong people, and now I want to start trusting the right ones. So now I'm approaching you as a leader and as a friend. We need to trust each other, all of us."  
"I cannot promise I can trust you." Korekiyo said. "While trust is easy for you, it is less so for me. But I will consider myself allied with you until further notice."  
"Works for me!" Kaito said. "Seriously though, I don't know what happened to you, and I don't need to know. But if you ever do wanna talk, I'll hear you out."  
"Funny how you haven't called me crazy yet." Kiyo said mildly.  
"What? You're not crazy. I'm crazy for blindly believing in stuff."  
"No. You're not crazy either." Kiyo said. "Unique yes, but not crazy." He suddenly looked Kaito dead in the eyes. "Have you ever thought about the diffusion of written language?"  
"Um, no. Not really." Kaito admitted.   
"You're aware how many languages have similar letters or alphabets or characters yes? That's because they are all human languages. They all sprouted from similar sources."  
"Yeah, I can see that."  
"And now we have this alien language." Kiyo continued. "Naturally it is barely similar to earth languages. Why would it? It comes from an entirely different source, isn't that right?"   
"Yeah." Kaito said, wondering what he was getting at.   
"So why did we find earth originated numbers in that room?" Kiyo asked. "Think about that. I know I am."   
He left again, but Kaito felt satisfied. However, right under the satisfaction was the confusion. Kiyo had a point. What were earth numbers doing there anyways?

Kaito had always had a habit of wandering whenever he had nothing better to do. He just let his legs move, and then just see where he ended up. After an encounter with an open storm drain, he'd taken a break from this, but now it was the best activity he had to try and calm his nerves.  
As he walked the length of the ship and back, he was impressed at the amount of work his crew was putting in despite technically being on break. Tsmugi was diligently working on the uniforms, and Tenko was in the gym, kicking the crap out of a myriad of objects. Kirumi was cleaning the ship with Himiko as an assistant, while Kiyo and Angie poured over different images taken from the Imperial. Maki, Kokichi and Shuichi were nowhere to be seen, but Miu was tinkering with the damaged shuttle, and Kiibo had yet to move from his position in comms. (Kaito debated telling him that Kokichi had been messing with him, but Kiibo looked so happy to be helpful.)  
Ryoma, Rantaro and Kaede were seated in the lounge area talking. Kaito decided to join them when something caught his eye. Gonta slipped out of his research lab, looking guilty.   
"Hey Gonta, what's up?" Kaito asked.  
Gonta jumped, looking startled. "Huh! Oh, hello Kaito. Gonta just...doing nothing suspicious."  
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Ok?"  
Gonta smiled. "Yes, nothing suspicious. Oh look! Friends." Gonta pulled Kaito over to the previously mentioned trio.   
"Hey guys." Kaede said. "What's up?"  
"Nothing suspicious." Gonta said quickly. Ryoma gave him a weird look, before deciding that it wasn't worth the effort.   
"What are you talking about?" Kaito asked. Kaede held out her tablet.   
"Have you not seen this?"   
Kaito's heart dropped into his stomach. Across the screen was an official threat against his crewmates families. "When did that happen?"  
"A few minutes ago." Ryoma said. "I knew it. I knew something like this was going to happen. Why else would I be here?"  
"What do you mean?" Kaito asked.   
"I've been in prison for the last year or so." Ryoma sighed. "Tried for murder, multiple accounts, found guilty, and now they let me loose in space. Of course nothing good's going to happen."  
"Don't say that." Kaede said. "This is just a warning."  
"But they're showing they're not afraid to push us now." Ryoma said. "We still have a long ways to go to complete this mission, and it sure as hell isn't going to get easier."  
"Do you guys have people in danger?" Kaito asked.   
"You could say." Rantaro smiled sadly.   
"Nope." Ryoma said. "Just my cat, and Racket's a sly little bastard. I doubt they'd assassinate a cat, but if they tried, I'm pretty sure he'd outsmart them."  
"You named your cat Racket?" Kaede asked. "That's adorable."  
Ryoma actually smiled. "Yeah, he is. But even if I don't have anyone, you do. I'd never forgive myself if anything I did lead to anyone else getting hurt." he turned serious again.   
"We're not gonna let anyone get hurt." Kaito said. "As your leader I promise that. I'm gonna put a hell of a lot more effort into building us up as a team. I'm sorry I haven't really taken the time to do that before. I promise that things'll be better going forward."  
"Gonta will protect friends!" Gonta said brightly.   
"Atua smiles upon us! What a lovely sentiment!" Angie said, entering the room, spreading her arms wide. Kiyo trailed in behind her.   
"Hey Angie, Kiyo." Rantaro said.   
"Greetings to all!" Angie said brightly. Kiyo waved awkwardly, which was an appreciated effort in Kaito's eyes. "We come bearing excellent news!"  
"Finally." Rantaro said. "What do you got for us?"  
"Atua is pleased by their language. There are so many fun, cute little swirls. Using Korekiyo and myself as his vessels, he has made a slight headway into understanding the language!"  
"That's great!" Kaede exclaimed. "And so fast too!"  
"Atua is divine." Angie said, clasping her hands together. "I told you all he would protect us! He has revealed a divinely ominous message!"  
"Hold on, ominous?" Ryoma asked.   
"Yes, unfortunately." Korekiyo spoke up. "It's not much, but we began breaking down commonly repeated symbols. Angie has quite the eye for them."  
"Through Atua's grace!"  
"Anyways, not to alarm you but I believe we've found some degree of a military command. They are assembling their forces, if the word we translated is to be believed." Kiyo continued.   
"What's the word?" Kaito asked nervously.   
"Ironically, they seem to call themselves the Swarm."  
Kaito could almost hear buzzing in his ears. The Swarm. A perfect name for the insect like aliens. And it seemed the Swarm was preparing to attack Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! Feel free to leave a comment, I love reading them and they mean the world to me. I hope I'm actually writing something decent instead of making a massive mess XD  
> Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	9. Transport

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! New chapter!! Thanks for the new kudos, it means so much to me. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!!

Swarm. The word haunted Kaito, playing through his mind every other second. Swarm. What a word.   
Mere seconds after the announcement of the Swarm, the woman's terse voice had returned, instructing them to peruse a small fleet of shuttles that was presumably headed towards the Homeworld. Rantaro had vanished after being told that the most recent Abducted were most likely contained in the shuttles. He hadn't said it to anyone, but Kaito was certain that Rantaro had been hoping the destruction of the Imperial had halted the Abduction.   
He sat in the cockpit with only Shuichi and Kiibo for company. Kaede had offered to try and find Rantaro, and the others were most likely making their personal preparations for the work ahead. Kaito almost found it ironic. They had done so much work already, but their mission had hardly begun.  
"Is this humor?" Kiibo asked suddenly. "I believe it falls under the category of comedic irony. If we continue to draw parallels between the insect-like appearance of the aliens, would it not be too much of a stretch to call the Homeworld the Hive?" he smiled hopefully.   
"What?" Kaito asked. His mind was still stuck on the swarm.   
Kiibo sighed. "It needs work, doesn't it."  
"No, I got it." Shuichi said. "It's not really the time for jokes...but yeah, we could call it that."  
Kiibo nodded. "Apologies. I'll try to do something more useful."  
"Are you ok?" Kaito asked. Admittedly, he had no idea how to react to Kiibo. He'd never talked to a robot before. He didn't know robots like this existed even! Kiibo was remarkably human-like, something that unsettled Kaito a little. Before meeting Kiibo, robots were little rectangle thingies with flashing lights and metallic voices. He hadn't even tried to think about the paradoxes Kiibo presented. It was too much on top of everything else.   
"Why are you asking? Am I doing something that makes you uncomfortable?" Kiibo asked. "I can just go-"  
"No, you don't have to." Kaito said quickly. "It's just-"  
"I know." Kiibo said, crossing his arms. He sounded bitter. "It's the whole robot thing. I promise I'm just like the rest of you!" he almost sounded desperate.   
"Honestly, I almost forgot you were a robot." Shuichi spoke up.   
"What! I'm doing an even worse job than I thought!" Kiibo wailed. Kaito debated asking him if he wanted to be seen as a robot or a human. Kiibo seemed a little contradictory.  
"No, I mean in all the craziness, you've been doing your best too." Shuichi said. "You're up here with us, working with us. To me, that makes you one of us, no questions asked." he blushed after speaking. "I didn't phrase that very well."  
Kiibo's face lit up. "No! I understood perfectly. Thank you, if I could feel happiness I would be feeling warm and fuzzy right now."  
"Are you sure you can't feel emotions?" Kaito asked.   
"I'm certain." Kiibo said. "The fact that I felt something similar to embarrassment after realizing Kokichi had made a fool out of me was an odd coincidence."   
Kaito raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Shuichi before laughing. There was something endearing about Kiibo. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. But seriously bro, stay. I need all the emotional support I can get right now."  
Kiibo awkwardly patted him on the shoulder. "Was that an appropriate response?"  
"Yeah, it was perfect." Kaito said. The conversation was helping his nerves. "Actually, can I ask you something?"  
"Yes! I'm happy to answer anything, so long as it's not robophobic." Kiibo said.   
"Ok. So how exactly were you...born. Or made?" Kaito asked.   
"A brilliant scientist devoted his life to building me." Kiibo said. "When I'm fully operational I will be charged with helping the human race as best I can."  
"So you're not fully operational yet?" Shuichi asked.   
"No, not yet. I should be capable of so much more." Kiibo said.   
"So, can you shoot lasers out of your eyes?" Kaito asked, growing excited. "Ooh! What about jet packs!"  
"I do not have those functions! I'm not part of some science fiction plot!" Kiibo said, looking offended. The obscurity of the statement caused Kaito to burst out laughing. He'd had many random dreams over the years about meeting robots, but none of them held a candle to this real interaction.   
"Well, I'm sure you have all sorts of helpful skills." Shuichi said. "You're here for a reason. Did you get anything good out of those transmissions?"  
Kiibo nodded. "I transcribed them in to written...words I guess, and gave them over to our intellectual team. I would have liked to help but...I do not think they like me."  
Kaito found himself thinking that Kiibo was potentially less strange than Korekiyo and Angie. "Huh? Why do you think that? Angie seems pretty sweet, and Kiyo's a little cold, but I think he's a good guy."  
"Angie keeps calling me the "Walking Sculpture" and Korekiyo just stares at me." Kiibo said sadly. "I'd like to get to know them. I feel like talking to them could enhance my understanding of humans!"   
"Well, just talk to them like you are with us." Kaito said. "I think you're totally awesome now! See? It's not so hard."  
"You think I'm awesome?" Kiibo asked softly.   
"Hell yeah I do! Robot or not, you're super cool." Kaito said.   
"If I could blush, I would." Kiibo said. He looked awestruck by the compliment. He suddenly looked serious. "Forgive me for the sudden proposal, but would the two of you be interested in forming a companionship based bond with me?"  
"I...huh?" Kaito asked.   
"Are you asking us to be your friends?" Shuichi asked. He had finally looked up.   
"Um, yes." Kiibo said sheepishly. "I find the two of you to be quite awesome as well."  
Kaito grinned. "You have got to be the most pure, innocent thing I've ever met."  
"I-I'm not a thing!"  
"Nope, you're my friend." Kaito said. Kiibo beamed. 

The moment was shattered as the doors slid open, revealing an irritated Miu. "The hell are you virgins talking about?"  
Shuichi quickly looked down. "N-nothing..."  
Miu eyed him. "Chill, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at the fuckin' lack of supplies. This is ridiculous! I'm the Ultimate Inventor! You'd think they'd give me some decent tools to work with!"  
"What do you mean?" Kaito asked.  
"Well, I was thinking about whipping a little something something up that would help us handle the creepy crawlies better. Maybe something that cuts through their shells, but I don't have anything to work with! Not even a box of cheap condums!"  
"How would one kill something with a cheap condum?" Kiibo asked.   
"You don't wanna know. Anyways I'm bored and I have cramps. I think I'm gonna be the first fuckin' bitch to get her period in space."  
Well the conversation had turned uncomfortable.   
"How about you?" Miu asked, turning to Kiibo. "You got any weapons? Or should I break you down for parts?"  
"Th-That's the equivalent of disembowelment!" Kiibo squeaked. "Please don't!"   
"Fine, plan B. We give Gonta a shit ton of weapons and see what happens." Miu said, looking at her nails.   
"The poor guy's gonna blow a hole in himself." Kaito said, shaking his head. Then he remembered. "Hey, has he been acting weird?"  
"He talks in the third person and told me he was raised by animals. Define weird." Kiibo said.   
"Weird would be a robot." Miu said. She eyed Kiibo suspiciously. "Come to think of it, where the hell have they been hiding you? I've been at the top of the tech scene since I was ten, and as far as I know, we don't have the stuff to make an android."  
"I'm not weird..." Kiibo said sadly. Kaito decided to turn the conversation around. Something about Miu set things on the offensive.   
"Don't you have an Ultimate Lab?"  
"Yeah, but it doesn't have anything useful. Not for what I want to make. I couldn't make anything dangerous out of that shit if I tried."  
Kaito saw Shuichi shift out of the corner of his eye. Shuichi seemed to be thinking now, and Kaito had a feeling that the detective had picked up on something.   
"Are we there yet?!" Kokichi whined, coming to stand behind Kaito. "I'm sooooo bored." he sighed, draping himself over Kaito's chair.   
Kaito felt the irritation spike and he glared at Kokichi, who sent him a chilling grin, one lacking all playful teasing.   
"Gee, do you see a massive alien space port? 'Cause I don't." Miu grumbled.   
"We are calling it the Hive." Kiibo spoke up.  
"We entered hyperspace a while ago." Kaito said. "See those little dots? Those are the shuttles. I don't think we're getting anywhere at least for another few hours. The shuttles aren't slowing down or anything.   
"Great. Fantastic. What the hell's hyper space?" Kokichi asked. Kaito stared at him.  
"Hyperspace is faster than light travel, it's faster than faster than light travel. It's one of the most basic concepts in aerospace engineering!"   
"Well, surprise, but I'm not an aerospace engineer." Kokichi said.  
"Point is we're covering distance in minutes when it would have taken the first rockets centuries." Kaito said.   
"Cool!" Kokichi said, eyes lighting up. "Hey, hey, it almost looks like a video game. Let's try shooting em down!"  
"But we need those! They're our guides!" Kiibo said.   
"Not to mention there's people in them!" Shuichi added.   
"Whatever, they're screwed either way. Might as well end their suffering quick." Kokichi said, slowly reaching towards the weapons controls. Kaito slapped his hand away.   
"Don't you even fucking think about it. You just blew up an alien ship! Isn't that enough?!"  
"It was! But now I'm bored again." Kokichi whined. "So I wanna blow more stuff up. C'mon Spaceboy! Lemme blow things up!!"  
"Go away Kokichi." Kaito said, covering the weapons controls with his body.   
"So mean." Kokichi said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME!"  
"Jesus! You're gonna blow my fucking eardrums out!" Miu yelled. "Shut it or I'll punch you!"  
"I'm not scared of you." Kokichi said, calming down instantly. "And whatevs, I'll leave but not because you want me to. It's boring here." he turned to leave and almost walked into Kirumi.  
"I do not mean to interrupt, but Gonta recently asked me for a large quantity of raw meat. I have newfound concerns about his dietary habits." Kirumi said.  
"This just keeps getting weirder." Kiibo sighed. The irony of him of all people saying that was not lost on Kaito. 

Kaito had gone off in search of Gonta. He needed a break from staring at the endless expanse of stars. He almost couldn't believe he was thinking that. The government had ruined space. Fantastic.   
He stifled a few coughs as he weaved through the ship. His chest had been painful, but not terrible. He'd had a few coughing fits, but he'd blamed it on the dry air. He needed to apply a new medicine patch when he got the chance.   
Gonta's lab doors were closed, and from the outside it looked just like the others. Kaito knocked on the door, jumping when he heard a thump and Gonta's panicked voice.  
"Shh! You have to hide. Gonta sorry!" there was a swooshing noise as the doors slid open and Gonta stood in the doorway. "Hello Kaito!"  
"What's up?" Kaito asked, trying to peer behind Gonta's bulk. Gonta shifted so he couldn't see.  
"Gonta just taking self time." Gonta said. "Miu laughed when Gonta say where he going, and Gonta don't know why. Gonta only sitting quietly, doing nothing suspicious." He smiled brightly.   
"Ok." Kaito said. He wasn't sure if Gonta was trying to say that he wasn't doing anything weird, or he was doing something weird and this was his way of hiding it.  
"Ya hah!" Angie said, tapping Kaito on the shoulder. "Atua told me you would be here! Hello Gonta!"  
Gonta waved cheerfully. Kaito turned to Angie. "Hey, what's going on?"  
"We have something wonderful to show you!" Angie said happily. "Gonta, would you like to come? The more people who witness Atua's divine splendor, the better!"  
Gonta shook his head sadly. "Gonta has to stay here and watch...Gonta has to stay here." Gonta said quickly. Kaito eyed him. Gonta turned back and peered at a cardboard box. "Gonta must watch box."  
"What a shame." Angie sighed. "When you are done with it, Atua would love it if you let me have it. He could use me to make something wonderful! Look at that hole, it has potential."  
"Hole?" Gonta asked. He picked up the box, which had a massive hole in it. "Oh no."  
"Something wrong?" Kaito asked. He didn't like the nervous look on Gonta's face.   
"On second thought, Gonta want to come." Gonta said quickly.   
"Excellent! Come, come! We have kept Atua waiting long enough!!"

As Kaito and Gonta followed Angie, the former kept spotting the latter peeking into every room. "Gonta, you sure you're good?" Kaito asked.   
"Gonta very good!" Gonta said quickly. "Gonta just looking for...for new box."  
"Ok then." Kaito said. He would have to keep an eye on Gonta. He didn't want to accuse Gonta of anything, the guy seemed as sweet as can be, but something was going on.  
"We are back!" Angie announced, stepping into the room she and Kiyo had occupied while Kaito was on the Imperial.   
Himiko looked up. "Oh, good. I was about to show Kiyo a magic trick. He likes my magic."   
Kiyo only nodded, but Kaito had the impression he was smiling. He hadn't pinned Kiyo as the type to like stage magic, but you never knew.   
"Himiko, Atua is so pleased by your talents!" Angie gushed. Himiko practically glowed.   
Gonta moved around the room, looking under papers, knocking things over. Angie and Kiyo both cringed.   
"Um, Gonta, Atua says you should stop moving around-"  
"Don't touch that!" Kiyo snapped, yanking a book away from Gonta. Gonta jerked back, surprised.   
"Gonta sorry! Gonta did not mean to make friends angry!" he looked as if he might cry.   
Kiyo softened. "My apologies for snapping. I find myself a bit stressed under circumstances."  
"You can come look at bug pictures with Gonta! Gonta find that relaxing! They have lots of pretty colors." Gonta said excitedly.   
Angie crawled under a counter, retrieving a sheet of paper. "This is what I-Eek!" she jumped back. "There's something under there!"  
"What?" Kaito asked.   
"It must have been my magic." Himiko said, nodding like this was nothing concerning.   
"Is anyone else confused as to how vermin infiltrated a spacecraft?" Kaito heard Kiyo say. Kaito was slowly approaching the counter. As he got closer, he could hear a faint clicking and hissing.   
"Bugs not vermin!" Gonta said. He turned to Kaito. "No! Don't hurt him!"  
"I don't even know what it is!" Kaito said. He slowly peeked under the counter. Something lunged at his face. "AAAGH!"  
Kaito jumped back hands over his face. He staggered blindly. "HELP! GET IT OFF!" he banged into desks, chairs, and then toppled over to the floor.   
"Nothing's on you." Himiko said. Kaito opened his eyes to see her looking down at him. "There wasn't anything. My magic must have made it disappear."  
"That seems logical!" Angie chirped. "Himiko's magic is something special. Right Kiyo?"  
"Yes, of course." Kaito noticed how Kiyo was still scanning the room, looking unsettled.  
"Anyways, tada!" Angie held up a sheet of paper with a series of symbols scrawled on it. As Kaito looked closer, he saw that scrawled was far too harsh of a word. Each symbol had been carefully sketched out and shaded, each one was a work of art.   
"Gonta like picture!" Gonta said. He was holding his hands behind his back.   
"Behold the first translation of an alien alphabet." Kiyo said. "It's incomplete, but it may serve a the basis of a decoding system. I'm currently working on uploading it."  
"He's been working on that for the last twenty minutes." Angie whispered. Ironically, her whisper was just as loud as her talking voice. "He's not good at technology."  
"I heard that." Kiyo muttered, tapping something out on his datapad.   
"Please allow Gonta!" Gonta said, taking the datapad. He hit a few buttons and it beeped cheerfully. "There! Gonta uploaded picture."  
"I...thank you." Korekiyo said slowly.   
"Did the animals teach you that in the forest?" Himiko asked. She sounded genuinely interested.   
"No, Gonta learned earlier. Gonta been taking lots of pictures." Gonta said happily.   
"Angie, Kiyo, great job. Seriously." Kaito said. "Jesus, you guys are fast."  
"By the will of Atua!" Angie cheered.   
"I haven't slept in three days." Kiyo sighed. 

Five minutes later found Kaito hunched over the sink, wiping the tears from his eyes. The convulsions had been worse, and they'd come out of nowhere. He'd had to duck out of the room suddenly, already choking on the blood that was rising. He'd barely locked the door before launching into the worst episode he'd had in a long time. It felt like it lasted hours, but upon checking, it had only been two minutes.   
Kaito let himself slump onto the floor and into a fetal position. Everything hurt. Even worse, he felt hopeless. He'd been able to ignore it all for a while now, but this episode had brought him back to reality. He was getting worse, and fast.   
Kaito remembered the day he'd been diagnosed. He'd been running on the playground with other classmates. He'd been nine, and in second or third grade. He couldn't remember if he was chasing or running from a friend, when he felt his chest seize. The next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees coughing, and everyone had been pulled away from him.   
Little Kaito had been quarantined alone in the art room, shaking from both fear and exhaustion. When medical teams finally arrived to collect him, decked in hazmat suits that made them look inhuman, Kaito had passed out from the combination of both.  
Even though he wasn't dead, the diagnosis ended his life. He had an expiration date. He was contagious. He wouldn't ever be hired for anything. Who would give him a job? He was just going to die. He could still remember the looks on his grandparents' faces. The shock and horror. Kaito wasn't sure he had understood what was happening. He knew he'd had it explained to him years later.   
He had been tracked as an Ultimate at a young age. He wasn't sure how it worked exactly, but he'd shown some kind of mental prowess that served as a marker for Ultimate potential. He had been presumed immune, and therefore hardly any precautions had been taken. It had been a shock. He remembered his grandfather bitterly recounting how the doctor had excitedly stated that Kaito was the first instance of this ever happening.   
Later Kaito had learned that his genes hadn't completely failed him. His life expectancy was much longer than non Ultimates who contracted the illness. He'd just die slowly, and wasn't that so much better? Kaito honestly wasn't sure.   
That had started his path of trying to get to space no matter what. He'd originally been interested in a strictly scientific field, but he no longer had the time for schooling. Becoming an astronaut was his best bet. However, he wasn't sure if he'd live to the required age to take the entrance exam. He'd...solved that problem.   
And now, here he was in space. He'd technically accomplished his goal, but he didn't feel anything. He had expected to feel something incredible, a feeling that would make dying feel ok, but there was nothing. It was the mission, he thought. He'd wanted to go to space to be among the stars, not fight for his life with a team of strangers. In a way, it was almost ironic. He couldn't even achieve his only dream, and now he was trying to persuade people to believe in him.  
And all the while he got sicker and sicker. 

A knock on the bathroom door shook Kaito from his thoughts. He didn't want to move yet. He was hurting. Hurting all over. He honestly wanted to sleep. Maybe he could sleep forever...  
"Kaito?" Rantaro's voice was slightly muffled by the door. "You ok in there?"  
"I'm taking a shit!" Kaito managed. His voice was harsh and gravelly. Talking had hurt a lot more than he thought it would, but thankfully, it did buy him the moments he needed to compose himself, and remove any traces of blood.   
When he emerged from the bathroom, he felt woozy. He felt as if he was walking through one of the anti gravity training rooms, despite the ship having full gravity. He might need to lay down. He hadn't felt this bad in a long time.   
"Goddamn, you ok?" Rantaro asked, seeing him. "You don't look so good."  
"Mm' fine." Kaito managed, leaning heavily on the wall. "Bad food or something."  
"Ok." Rantaro said. "Do you want to go to your room?"  
Kaito nodded, and before he could do anything else, the Ultimate Adventurer was practically carrying him towards his room. "You're strong." he said groggily.   
"Yeah, I've given plenty of piggy back rides in my day. Walking someone to their room is nothing." Rantaro laughed.   
"Siblings?" Kaito asked. His throat protested but speaking gave him something else to think about.   
"Yeah." Rantaro nodded. "Twelve sisters."  
"Jesus!" As shitty as he felt, the surprise could still be heard in his voice.  
"Yeah." Rantaro laughed. "Most are step sisters. Remarrying a hundred times is all the rage in upper class society, so I'm told."  
"So twelve girls, and you." Kaito said, laughing weakly. "How's that going?"  
"Not bad." Rantaro shrugged. "I'm the oldest, so I was always in charge of watching over everyone else. Plus I got my own room."  
Kaito nodded, stumbling slightly over the steps up to his room. "Shit, sorry."  
"Don't be. I gotcha." Rantaro said, carefully guiding him.   
"What did they think of you going up here?" Kaito asked. He found himself surprisingly interested in the pasts of his crewmates.   
Rantaro was silent for a moment. "I dunno. We haven't talked in a long while."  
"Well, hopefully you'll see them soon." Kaito said.   
"Hopefully." Rantaro helped him through the doors and settled him on his bed. Kaito was surprised as Rantaro leaned over him, pressing a hand to his forehead.   
"What are you doing?"  
"What, oh, checking for a fever." Rantaro laughed. "Instinct I guess. Want me to get anything for you? Water or something?"  
"Yeah." Kaito nodded. "Wait, did you need something?"  
"No." Rantaro said, shrugging. "I saw you go in there, and you were in there for a while. Thought I heard coughing too. Sorry, didn't mean to invade privacy or anything."  
"No, no, it's ok." Kaito said. "You're kinda weird."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Wait, shit, that came out wrong." Kaito said. "I mean it's rare to find someone like you. Someone who just cares, y'know? Wait, I think that made even less sense."   
Rantaro shook his head. "No, I got it. Rest up now, ok? I'll keep an eye on things for you."  
"Ok." Kaito mumbled. "Thanks."   
"No problem."  
"Hey Rantaro."  
"Mm?"  
"Your sisters are lucky to have you."  
He didn't get a response. 

When Kaito awoke, he felt strong enough to dig in the pockets of his luggage for the small pouch of medicine patches. Upon examining the old one, it became very clear that the patch was empty, and had been for some time. That would explain the heightened severity of the episode. Kaito would have to be more careful from now on.   
It was also more than a little unsettling how dependent he'd become on the medication.   
"Kaito! Hey!" Kaede called when she saw him exiting his room. "Rantaro said you weren't feeling good. Are you doing ok?"  
Kaito could already feel the sweet relief being spread by the medication pumping through his body. He decided to answer honestly. "Yeah, I'm feeling better."  
"Good, I was a little worried." Kaede said, giving him a bright smile. "You wanna come up to the cockpit with me? Shuichi's up there right now."  
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, sure. Wait, how long have I been asleep for."  
"Three years." Kaede said gravely. When Kaito stared at her, she laughed. "I was kidding, two hours at the most."  
"Has Shuichi been there the whole time?"  
"Yeah, I think so. He said he wanted to keep an eye on things for you, like a good sidekick would." Kaede said.   
"Oh my god, that's-"  
"Adorable?" Kaede asked. "Yeah, I thought so too. "We'd better not tell him though, or I don't think he'll make eye contact with either of us ever again."  
The easy flow of the conversation made Kaito feel almost as if the turmoil of the episode had never happened.   
And then he saw the pandemonium in the cockpit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I've been doing better at uploading on a schedule (I think) so hopefully that will continue XD  
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	10. Blinky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm glad Gonta acting weird was easy to pick up!! I'm always paranoid my writing doesn't get across XD  
> Anywho, this chapter is a little longer than the others. I had too many ideas that I felt like I needed to cram into one chapter. It's just longer now XD  
> Anyways, that said, I hope you enjoy!!

"KILL IT!" Tenko screeched, throwing a first aid kit across the room.   
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die." Tsmugi whimpered, grabbing Kaede's arm and sprinting away from the front of the cockpit.   
Kaito stared in awe. Had he not already applied the medicine patch, he would have taken the scene before him to be a hallucination.   
"The hell's going on!?" Kaito yelled. Kiibo stood beside him, looking dumbstruck.   
"I-I don't know! I-I can't-" Kiibo's voice broke, taking on a more metallic tone. "I'm not equipped to ha-ha-handle stress!"   
"I swear to god if you break down now!" Miu yelled, whacking him on the back.   
A bug creature the size of a pony was crawling around the cockpit, screeching and hissing. It was much smaller than the other ones Kaito had seen, but it was no less terrifying. "How the fuck did one get here!"  
Shuichi was tugging on Kokichi's arm, the latter of which seemed to have frozen, eyes wide. "Kokichi, come on!" he begged as the bug turned its attention towards them. Kokichi let out a small whimper, sliding to the ground.   
"Hey! Over here you overgrown cockroach!" Rantaro yelled, tossing another first aid kit. It hit the bug on the back. It whirled with a hiss, running at Rantaro.   
Kaito took his chance, dashing over and throwing Kokichi over his shoulder before jogging back to the exit with Shuichi behind him.  
Himiko eyed the spectacle. "My magic seems to have gotten stronger."  
"Himiko make it disappear!" Tenko wailed. Kirumi herded as many crewmates as she could out of the cockpit. Kaito whirled back to Rantaro just in time to see the bug charge-  
A datapad struck the bug on the head. It screeched in fury, whirling to charge at Korekiyo, who's hand was still outstretched. The bug bore down on him, pincers poised to strike.  
"AAAAAAAAAGH!" Kaito heard himself yelling. He threw himself onto the back of the insect, clinging to the slippery exoskeleton the best he could. "EVERYONE RUN!" He yelled, yanking on any part of the creature he could reach.   
Kiyo took no time ducking under the creature's pincers and grabbing Angie, who was seated in the middle of the floor praying, seemingly oblivious to the chaos.   
"Kaito!" he heard Shuichi yell. Kaito was now realizing that this had not been the best plan. He was losing his grip, and if he fell now, he'd fall right into the insect's waiting pointy bits.   
"Kaito! Duck down!" Kaito ducked down just in time for a tennis ball to fly over his head, striking the bug. A tennis ball?  
The creature reared, dumping Kaito onto the ground. It chased after the tennis ball, tearing it to shreds upon catching it.   
"C'mon!" Rantaro grasped Kaito's shoulder, hoisting him to his feet. Kaito could hear the skittering of the creature's many legs as it gave chase.   
"Duck again!" the pair ducked as a second tennis ball smacked the bug directly in the face. It buckled and screeched, giving Kaito and Rantaro the needed time to exit the cockpit.   
Ryoma stood in front of the rest of the group, tennis racket in hand, a canister of tennis balls at his feet. "You guys are the last ones out. We can seal it in, but we still have a long ways to go before it drops."  
"You...tennis....bug..." Kaito said weakly, miming his words.   
Ryoma nodded. "Yeah. I uh, happened upon them when I was running up here."   
"It's ok if you were playing tennis. It's your talent after all." Kaito said. "And holy shit! You're good!"  
Ryoma opened his mouth to respond, but raised his racket instead. "Get down!" Kaito ducked as Ryoma served a ball right into the insect's shell, however, when it bounced back, he hit it again and again, entering into a one sided tennis match with the insect.   
He increased the force with every hit, driving the insect back, towards the farthest corner of the cockpit. He nailed a shot directly into one of its jointed legs and the bug crumpled. Ryoma quickly drew another tennis ball, and aimed for the exposed underbelly-  
"Oh good! Friends! Gonta been looking for you." Gonta said brightly. "So, Gonta have something he need to tell you-NO!" Gonta's eyes went wide, seeing Ryoma raise his racket. Gonta charged for Ryoma, who sidestepped at the last minute, the shot going astray, bouncing harmlessly against the wall.   
Gonta kept going, running until he reached the overturned bug. "Gonta no!" Tsmugi shouted.   
"Are you ok!?" Gonta asked the bug worriedly. He carefully turned it over, back onto it's legs. The pony sized creature nuzzled into Gonta, making pitiful whining noises. "Oh no, your leg is hurt and your exoskeleton is cracked. And you too young to shed yet! It ok, Gonta will help you." he reached for a first aid kit and began to carefully bandage the bug's leg.   
"Tell Gonta if it too tight." Gonta said, petting the bug's head with his free hand. He dug in the kit and withdrew anti bacterial paste. He began to rub it over the cracked shell. "Tell Gonta if it hurts."  
The bug made a few small squeaks, before folding its legs and laying down next to Gonta, allowing him to apply the paste. Finally, Gonta withdrew several smiley face bandages, covering the cracks with the neon yellow band-aids.   
"There! All better! Gonta will take those off when shell heal."  
"Um, can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?!" Miu demanded.   
Gonta looked up at the group. "Exoskeleton can be shed when bugs grow. However, he too young to shed yet." he pointed to the creature, who was nuzzling him happily. "Might have scaring on next exoskeleton, and maybe few more. It ok though! It make him special." he smiled happily, patting the bug again.   
"Is it gone." Kokichi said weakly. Kaito had sat him on the floor, where the supreme leader had promptly keeled over in a dead faint. Shuichi had sat next to him worriedly. Kaito had come to the conclusion that Shuichi was too good for this world, and certainly too good for Kokichi.  
"Uh, no." Miu said. "There's been, uh, a development."  
The bug stood and playfully nudged Gonta. "You feeling better already! Good!" Gonta said happily, getting to his feet. "Do you want to play? Oh! A ball! Here, Gonta throw for you. Ready? Fetch!" he tossed the ball and the bug chased after it, shredding it to bits and dropping the pieces at Gonta's feet, clicking happily.   
Gonta laughed, child-like joy in his eyes. "Good job! Oh, but we need new ball. That ok, Gonta see a few others." he turned to the crew. "Would you like to play fetch with Gonta?"  
"Gonta." Kaito said. "What's going on?"  
"Fetch." Gonta said, like it was obvious.  
"I believe he means...that." Korekiyo said, gesturing to the creature at Gonta's feet.   
"Hm? You mean Blinky?" Gonta asked. "Do you want to pet him?"  
"No thank you." Kiyo said quickly, taking a step back.   
"You named it?" Kaito spluttered.   
"Of course! Gonta give all friends names." he pointed to a part of the shell and tapped it. The portions lit up like a firefly. "See? Blinky!"  
"Gonta. Where did it come from?" Maki asked. Kaito jumped. He hadn't noticed her yet.   
"From ship." Gonta said guiltily.   
"YOU TOOK A FUCKING BUG FROM THE SHIP!?" Miu screamed.   
"No, Gonta took egg." Gonta said. "Gonta bring it back to lab and care for it, then it hatch! Blinky used to be this big." He made a shape with his hands, the size of a softball. "Gonta make photo album! Gonta can show you. He very cute." He said, patting the bug again.  
"Um, it's plain to see that he got bigger." Tsmugi said.   
Gonta nodded. "Yes! Blinky grow fast! Gonta very surprised. His favorite food is meat, and Gonta had to get some from Kirumi. He very hungry. He need food, he healthy growing bug."  
"I find several issues with this." Kirumi said, standing in front of Himiko, Shuichi and Kokichi protectively.   
"It ok! He very polite. Gonta teach him to be gentleman." Gonta said. "Watch. Blinky, say hello to friends!" Everyone watched in awe as the bug raised an uninjured leg and waved. Gonta smiled at the crewmates proudly.   
"So you took it from the ship when it was an egg, brought it back, hatched it, and raised it on a diet of meat?" Angie asked. "Atua sees no problems with the current situation!"  
"It's not a dog Angie." Kiyo said quietly.   
"Yes, Gonta make Blinky nice home in box. But Blinky got lonely and escaped to find Gonta. He hide in comms room and get scared."   
Kaito remembered the thing that had lunged at him. Gonta had caught it with incredible speed. Just how strong and fast was Gonta?  
"Gonta bring Blinky home, and Blinky grew a little. Gonta kept baby skins in room as souvenir. They very thin and clear, like membrane. This is Blinky's first adult shell." Gonta said proudly. "He still baby though. Juvenile."  
"That's great to hear bud, but how did he get here?" Rantaro asked, still looking unsettled.   
"Gonta had to look for new box and it took long time. Blinky molted more times until he this big." He pointed to Blinky. "He get lonely again and look for Gonta. He probably hear noise and come here. He got scared of strangers." Gonta said. "Gonta apologize. Blinky's manners usually better."  
"Ok." Kaito said slowly, looking at the rest of the group. "Um, so what do we do with him now?"  
"What? He stay with Gonta." Gonta said, sounding confused. "He can't survive on own yet."  
"Why did you take it in the first place!" Miu shrieked.   
"It was last egg, all alone." Gonta said sadly. "Just like Gonta before forest family find him. Gonta know how it feels to be alone. Gonta didn't want that for anyone, so Gonta bring egg back so Gonta can be its familiy, and it can have lots of friends just like Gonta!"  
"That's...adorable." Tsmugi said. "But, um, it wants to kill us."  
"No he don't! He just scared." Gonta said. "Here, Gonta tell him it's ok. Kiyo! Gonta can show you real pretty bug now to help you relax. Come here!"  
"I'm perfectly calm thank you." Kiyo said, but when he saw Gonta's pleading look, he sighed. "I hope you all attend my memorial service." he stepped back into the cockpit, only a few feet away from Blinky and Gonta.   
"Ok, listen to Gonta." Gonta said to Blinky. "Blinky, that friend." He pointed at Kiyo. "Now go say hi!"  
"Wait-" was all Korekiyo managed to say before Blinky had reached him, however, unlike the previous encounter, this time Blinky butted him with his head, not unlike a cat. He made several happy chirping and clicking noises, eagerly awaiting pats.   
Kiyo had flinched back, but now slowly reached a hand out to pat the bug. Blinky's lights lit up happily, flickering slowly. Slowly, the lights began to change colors into a vibrant everchanging cycle.   
"It's...beautiful." Kiyo said slowly. "Your devotion to these creatures despite being human yourself. You are truly the depths of compassion. I find your actions beautiful. And your beautiful actions have lead to this beautiful display. I'm in awe."  
Gonta didn't seem to quite understand Kiyo's words, but he smiled. "Gonta happy you and Blinky friends! Who next?"  
"Me!" Angie cheered, bounding forward. Gonta called Blinky back and once again told him that Angie was a friend. Soon Blinky was cuddling against Angie, who was marveling at his colors, promising that Atua would create a beautiful portrait of Blinky through her.   
"It...seems like a pet now." Rantaro said slowly. "Gonta really did train it."  
Kaito nodded, equally in awe. "I know, it's insane, but he really did."  
"So, are we keeping it?" Rantaro asked. They were the last two left who had yet to meet Blinky. Kaito looked over at the rest of the crewmates. They were all gushing over Blinky, patting him and praising him. Even Kokichi, who had fainted again at the aspect of petting Blinky, had slowly come around. He had refused to touch Blinky, but he was willing to roll tennis balls across the floor to him. Kaito noticed he'd refused to let Shuichi leave his side. Poor Shuichi.  
"I mean, I think we need this. Something positive. It's like a therapy dog!" Kaito said.   
"Some dog." Rantaro laughed. "But you're right. Everyone needed a little happiness. Guess Blinky's our mascot now."   
Kaito laughed too. "Guess so."

A three hour game of "maul the tennis ball" proved to be an excellent way to pass the time. Despite being terrifying at times, Blinky reacted and played like a puppy. If he had a tail, Kaito was sure that it would be wagging. He vaguely remembered the scorpion like tails of the fully grown creatures. Maybe a wagging tail would be a little deadly...  
Angie had been creating swirled designs out of discarded green fuzz. She'd managed to make an incredible portrait of Tenko with the fuzz alone, spreading it out with her fingers to lighten the colors, and packing it together to darken them. Now she was making several of the swirled designs found inside the alien ship.  
"Whatcha making?" Kaito asked, leaning over.   
"Hmm? Well it is Atua's naptime, so I'm just playing around." Angie said. "Sometimes I get things stuck in my head, like the symbols. Sometimes I can use my gifts to get them out!" she poked Kiyo in the side, who flinched, before muttering something about her warning him before doing that. "Does that look right?"  
Kiyo examined the design for a moment before checking it on his datapad, which had a slight crack in the screen from being throw. "Yes, it's perfect. I don't know how you do it. I could never remember the exact details that fast."  
"Photographic memory!" Angie cheered. "Atua gave it to me so that he could see everything I see after he wakes up!" She began to arrange another symbol. "Can someone please hand me another tennis ball corpse?"  
Himiko rolled over a half chewed ball, which attracted the attention of Blinky, who chased after it. However, when he reached the symbols, he stopped, cocking his head. Suddenly he sunk into an attack pose, raising his exoskeleton. A pair of wings shot out. They were see through, but edged with razor like spines.   
Angie let out a surprised squeak and grabbed Kiyo's arm. "Take him instead!" Kiyo shot her a deadpan look in return.   
"Wow, that new." Gonta said. "He never do that before."  
Blinky remained in the pose, not moving. Angie cocked her head in a similar fashion.  
"So, is he going to kill us, or can I keep making symbols?" she covered the previous two with her hand, and Blinky settled, wings retreating.   
"I wonder." Kiyo mused, removing Angie's hand, revealing the symbols again. Blinky sunk into the same pose, wings out. Kiyo covered them again with his own hand, and Blinky settled once more. Kiyo repeated the process several times, getting the same response each time.   
"What's he doing?" Kaede asked.  
"Great, the bug can read." Kokichi said. "Hooray for Blinky." at the sound of his name, the bug looked over expectantly. Kokichi yelped and scooted behind Shuichi. "Yikes! Shumai, protect me!"  
Shumai? Kaito would have to get a handle on that situation. In the mean time, a bug reading wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen on this mission.   
"Can he really?" Tsmugi asked, leaning forward to get a better look.  
"No, bugs can't read." Gonta shook his head sadly. "But bugs can recognize! Maybe he recognizing them!"   
"But he hatched here! How could he have seen them before?" Tenko asked.   
"Maybe he was bred to." Miu shrugged. When everyone stared at her she blushed, looking nervous. "What? We've seen that these fuckers have way better tech than us. We can download instructions into Kiibo, maybe they've figured out how to download shit into real brains. Program a living thing."  
"I do have a "real brain." It works just as well as yours!" Kiibo protested.   
"I do believe that is a possible theory." Kirumi said, seeming to be deep in thought. "They are bred, already trained to respond to symbols such as that. Like soldiers."  
"So then how did bug boy train it?" Kokichi asked, still eyeing Blinky wearily.   
"It's still alive isn't it? It probably can still learn." Maki said.   
"Could it still be programmed to kill us?" Ryoma asked. He still had his tennis racket at his side.   
"Well, if we're still using tech terms, I'd say Gonta's overridden a lot of the programming. He was the first thing Blinky saw and got to know when he was born. That's gotta count for something."  
"I can't believe we're sitting here discussing a space bug." Kokichi huffed. "I've had nightmares like this. Also, why has nobody asked, "hey, Kokichi, you ok?" or, "Hey, Kokichi, how you feeling?" I'm really feeling the love guys."  
"Are you ok?" Kaito asked, rolling his eyes.   
"I feel dizzy and kinda nauseous, but other than that, I'm ok, thanks for asking." Kokichi said sweetly.   
"I wonder if he'd react to other symbols." Himiko said, surprising everyone. "It can be like a game. Maybe my magic will let him understand those too." Ah, there it was. Typical Himiko.   
"That's not a bad idea." Rantaro said. "Gonta, you think you can manage something like that?"  
Gonta nodded happily. "Yes, Gonta and Blinky happy to help! Gonta can interpret Blinky's behavior."   
Gonta's talent was proving to be more and more useful. "Yeah, that sounds good." Kaito said. "Kiyo, Angie, can you handle that? Show Blinky all the symbols we have?"   
"That could take a few hours." Angie mused. "Maaaaaybe longer."  
"But could you do it eventually?" Kaito pressed.   
"Yes, it would take time though." Kiyo said. "And I'm not sure how many more he will understand. Probably nothing complex."  
"That's ok, just get me something." Kaito said.   
"I'll go too. Maybe my magic can help." Himiko said, standing up.   
"Where Himiko goes, I go!" Tenko said, standing up as well. "Let's go already!" At the prospect of spending time with Himiko, she seemed incredibly excited.   
"Alright. Get to it then." Kaito said. The five crewmates and one bug headed off into the ship.   
"What about the rest of us?" Shuichi asked.  
Kaito thought for a moment. "Well, now that we have an alphabet, hmmm. Kiibo, could you start translating the comms transmissions you picked up?"  
"Yes!" Kiibo said. He seemed to have recovered from his previous glitch. "If that'll be helpful than I'll gladly fulfill it!"  
"Great." Kaito said, smiling at his earnestness. "Kokichi, help him with that. Miu too."  
"Aw mannnnn." Kokichi whined. "That's gonna be boring."  
"Yeah." Miu said, crossing her arms.   
"Please?" Kaede asked. Miu sighed and nodded. Kokichi still held firm however.   
"Come on Kokichi!" Kaito grumbled.   
"Nope, nuh uh. Why should I do anything for you?" Kokichi said, crossing his arms like a child.   
"Who would you do it for?" Kaito sighed. He was getting a headache.   
"Hmm, well if my dear Shumai wanted me to...What do you think Shuichi? Do you want me to?" Kokichi asked brightly.  
Shuichi's face burned. "I, ah, um, yes. It would be really helpful Kokichi."  
"Well, that's that." Kokichi said, tone still bright. "If you need me, I'll be translating stuff. C'mon Roboboy, and bring the whore if you have to."  
"H-hey! Who are you c-calling a whore!" Miu whimpered, chasing after him and Kiibo.   
"Anything else captain?" Rantaro asked playfully. Kaito grinned, knocking him on the shoulder gently.   
"Kirumi, Kaede, Shuichi. Can you stay here and watch the shuttles? You'll be in charge of navigation."  
"Can do!" Kaede said brightly. She grabbed Shuichi by the hand, happily pulling him to the pilot and copilot's chairs. Either Kaito was going nuts, or everyone was getting a thing for Shuichi. Well, in actuality it was only two, but it was a coincidence.   
"I will happily fulfill your request." Kirumi said, walking to join them.   
"Tsmugi." Kaito said, turning to the bespectacled girl. "Can you finish adjusting the uniforms, and the combat gear? It's a little bulky and I think you might make it easier to move around in. Ryoma and Maki will help you."  
"Alright." Ryoma said, shrugging. "I got a long ways to go in the fashion department, but I'm down."  
"Why me?" Maki asked, looking surprised. "I don't know anything about clothes."  
"You sure, you got pretty great style to me." Kaito lied. Maki eyed him darkly.   
"You just don't know what else to do with me." Before he had a chance to respond, Maki had stormed out of the room, followed by Tsmugi and Ryoma.   
"Rantaro, as my loyal co-captain, can you check around with the different groups?" Kaito asked.   
"But of course." Rantaro said, with a mock bow. "What about you chief?"  
"Oh, uh, I think I'm gonna lay down some more." Kaito said sheepishly. He was still exhausted and he definitly hadn't waited long enough before doing physical exercise. (He counted jumping on the back of a space bug as physical exercise.)  
Rantaro only smiled kindly. "You do that. I'll keep everything running smoothly."  
"Thanks." Kaito said. If only he could express how much he really appreciated Rantaro's constant care and lack of questions.  
"Don't mention it. Anything else I can do for ya?"  
"Wake me up in two hours." Kaito said. "I don't wanna sleep too long. Oh, and wake me up if anything happens."   
"Thanks for the clarification. I was originally going to leave you sleeping in the event of an emergency." Rantaro said.   
"Yeah, thanks for that." Kaito said, rolling his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna go hit the hay."  
"Sleep well boss." Rantaro said.  
The last thing Kaito thought of before falling asleep was a green lush field, but instead of counting sheep, he found himself counting little Blinkys. 

Kaito awoke to a soft knock on the door. "Rise and shine!" Rantaro called.   
Kaito rolled over with a groan, checking his datapad. It had been two hours to the minute. He'd appreciate more sleep, but he had to pull his weight too. How else could he claim to be a leader?  
Kaito dragged himself out of bed, yanking a comb through his hair, trying to appear less bedraggled. After shooting himself finger guns in the mirror, he left his room to stand with Rantaro in the hall.  
"Did you sleep well? Any good dreams?" Rantaro asked as they walked down the hall.   
"Yeah, I dreamed I was eating my way through a giant pancake." Kaito said, laughing at the memory. "Dreams are supposed to mean something. What do you think that means?"  
"That I should suggest making pancakes to Kirumi." Rantaro laughed.   
"Good plan." Kaito grinned. "So, how's everything looking?"  
"Well, Kaede downloaded a piano app on her data pad and is giving Shuichi a personal concert. Don't worry, Kirumi's watching everything." he added. "Kiibo, Miu and Kokichi are actually making so decent headway. Nothing major yet, but pretty good for our ameture status. Tsmugi's made some great improvements, and Maki and Ryoma are her mannequins. Last I saw, she was dressing Ryoma up as the lorax, but she's done a lot of good work too."  
Kaito snorted at the image of Ryoma the Lorax. "What are you talking about? That seems productive to me."  
"You don't say." Rantaro snickered. "Anyways, I'm heading down to check on Blinky and the others. I haven't heard any screaming, so I think it's going well."  
"Good to know." Kaito said. "Let's see how much they got done in two hours."

It was a decent amount, Kaito discovered upon entering the comms room. More notes scrawled in Kiyo's slanted handwriting covered the walls, and more sketches complete with labels accompanied them. Himiko was asleep, slumped on the table next to Kiyo. She seemed to have been in the middle of braiding his hair, as several lose dark braids were now visible. Tenko was watching Himiko adoringly, handing things to Kiyo and Angie when needed. Gonta was seated in the middle of the floor with Blinky, who was gnawing on what seemed to be a frozen chicken.   
"How's it going?" Kaito asked. Himiko awoke with a "Nyeh?" before looking around and going back to sleep.  
"It's going well." Angie said. "Blinky does not know complex words, or at least what we assume to be complex words, but he knows many small ones. Like attack, or, prepare, or wings, or stance, or bite, or-"  
"I get the picture." Kaito laughed. Kiyo was shifting through a pile of papers muttering to himself.   
"You good?" Kaito asked.  
"I put it right here. I know it's here somewhere, the only one I used blue pen on, I didn't move it, how did I lose it? I'm so idiotic, where did it go? How am I this dim witted?" Kiyo continued speaking, seeming to not hear Kaito. Angie patted his arm, shushing him.  
"This it?" Rantaro asked, picking up a piece of paper dotted with sentences scrawled in blue ink.   
"Yes!" Kiyo said. He stood to get it, walked a few steps, then suddenly stumbled forward. Rantaro grabbed him before he hit the floor.   
"Woah, you ok?" Kaito asked.   
"Fine, fine." Kiyo said, trying to regain his balance. "Just a little tired."  
Upon inspection, Kaito could see that Kiyo's eyes were ringed with dark circles. "Jesus! You look like shit!"  
"Why so surprised? I told you I haven't slept in three days." Kiyo said.   
"I thought you were joking!" Kaito protested.  
"I am not one for jokes, Kaito." Kiyo said, gripping the table, pushing away from Rantaro.  
"Well jesus! Go get some sleep!" Kaito said. Kiyo looked ready to collapse at any minute.   
"No, there is too much to do." Kiyo said.   
"He is correct!" Angie said. She looked just as exhausted as he did. "Our work is too important. We are vessels for a greater cause! Our flesh bodies are so insignificant! There is no time for sleep! Every moment until our eventual demise must be spent working!"  
"Angie. Sleep." Kaito said, ignoring her grandeuos claims. "Yeah, you're doing all kinds of important stuff, but please, get some rest. You both need it."   
"But we are fine!" Angie said, standing up, only to flop backwards onto Tenko's lap. "Hmm, your lap is very comfortable!" she proclaimed. Tenko's face burned.   
Kiyo shook his head as if trying to clear it. "I am fine to continue." he rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Perfectly fine. Angie is correct. We cannot stop."  
"Why not!" Kaito yelled. Kiyo jerked back slightly, swaying precariously. Kaito saw Rantaro prepared to catch him again.   
"She said so." Angie said, pointing to Himiko.  
"Himiko?" Kaito asked. "I don't think she'd want you to work yourselves to exhaustion."  
"Nooo silly. Her!" Angie moved Himiko's hair, revealing a speaker. "The woman at base!"  
"She told us that our work is of the greatest importance. That we cannot delay, not even for basic needs." Kiyo said, his eyes were closed, he looked as if he'd been previously fighting to keep them open.   
"Yes, yes, it is true." Angie said, struggling to her feet. "We have to, we must. Lives are at stake."  
"You can take at least a few hours!" Kaito said. His distaste towards the woman was growing.   
"No, no we cannot." Angie said. "She hears the voice of Atua too. He told her that we are not to stop working, lest we face great consequences. I cannot go against his word. I have never met another who hears his voice like I do. I do not know why he did not tell me directly, but I cannot go against his word."  
"Kiyo?" Kaito asked. He doubted Kiyo bought into the Atua stuff.   
"She also said that our performance depends on the safety of your loved ones. She showed us a few pictures. Your grandparent's house...is lovely." Kiyo managed.   
"She's threatening you?!" Rantaro exclaimed.   
"Yes, after she first announced the punishments." Angie said. "She said that we carry the burden, and failure to consistently produce results will result in bloodshed." She was swaying slightly, holding onto Tenko to keep her balance.   
Kiyo fumbled with a large book on the table next to him. He got a firm grip on it, before swinging it into his own face.   
"Woah! Hey!" Kaito yelled, snatching the book.   
Kiyo pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing. "Mm, no, I need it back. Harder. It keeps me awake."  
"Coffee stopped working." Angie said.   
"Are you both insane?" Kaito asked. He was sure the exhaustion had a part to play in it, but this was crazy.   
"I promised you, didn't I?" Kiyo said softly. "That despite my inability to comprehend your plight, I would not allow my actions to impact others."  
Kaito felt himself soften. "Kiyo..."  
"We will continue!" Angie said, spreading her arms, only to stumble back again.  
"We will continue." Kiyo echoed, shaking his head.   
"That's sick." Rantaro said. "That's so sick. Using Angie's faith against her. Using promises against Kiyo."  
"But why?" Kaito asked. "Are they trying to kill them?"  
Rantaro shook his head. "Look at them, they can barely think. Of course they're going to follow whatever they're told. They've broken them down into obeying.   
"Kiyo, come on, you have to know what they're doing." Kaito said.   
"I do. I am aware. But I do not want to take the chance. You think low enough of me as is, without the blood of your relatives on my hands."  
"Hey now, that's not true." Rantaro said gently. "You're just talking crazy now. You're tired, you're both a little out of sorts. C'mon, just take a little break. You need it."  
"It'll be ok." Kaito said, trying to mimic Rantaro's soothing tone. "Come on guys, they're playing you."  
"But Atua does not lie." Angie said weakly. For the first time Kaito saw the girl behind the faith. Scared and exposed when her lifeline was taken away.   
"Atua doesn't, but she does." Kaito said, gesturing to the speaker. "Atua's probably still napping. He doesn't know she lied about him."  
"You...you could be right." Angie said. "I cannot feel him as well. Too tired..."  
"He'd want you to rest." Tenko said, jumping in. "Right Himiko?" she elbowed the redhead.   
"Nyeh? Oh, hi Kaito. Hi Rantaro." she looked around, growing alarmed. "What's wrong with them? Are they ok? I can help." She said standing up.   
"Himiko?" Kaito asked.   
The magician made her way over to Angie. "Watch my hands." she cupped her hands together, revealing a shiny stone with a gem attached. "Now watch this." she slowly moved the gem back and forth chanting "Maaaaaagic, maaaaaagic."  
"What is she-" Kaito started.   
Tenko shushed him. "She needs to focus!"  
Himiko began to count backwards from ten, swinging the gem at each number. At three she stopped the swinging. At two she cupped her hands together. At one, she opened them, the stone having vanished. She snapped her fingers, and Angie fell back, asleep.   
"Holy-"  
"Shh!" Himiko said. "Don't break my spell!"  
Kaito stared at Rantaro, who stared back, equally surprised.   
"You're amazing Himiko!" Tenko hissed.   
Himiko made her way to Kiyo. "Your turn." When he protested, she shushed him. "No talking, just magic. Watch my hands."  
Gonta stood up. "Allow Gonta."  
Upon completing the trick, Kiyo fell back into Gonta's arms. Gonta carefully picked up both him and Angie. "Gonta will take them to rooms."  
"Ok, good." Kaito said, still in awe. He looked at Himiko, who was scratching her ear.   
"Hey, um" Tenko started. "I didn't notice, I swear. I didn't see how tired they were. I can't believe I didn't. Kiyo's a degenerate male, but I should have been watching Angie. I'm sorry." She said quickly.   
"Hey, it's ok." Rantaro said. "We're all a little messed up right now."  
"Yeah, you're good." Kaito said. He was deep in thought. This was the first time he'd seen such blatant and targeted manipulation. The punishments had been a general threat, but this had been tailored special for Angie at the very least.   
Kaito felt anger building in his chest. Without a word, he strode out of the comms room, down to the room where he'd spoken to the woman alone.   
He was going to get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that's all I have for now. If you have any feedback I'd love to hear it! Sorry again for the lengthy chapter. If you read all the way here, I love you XD  
> Anyways, thank you so so much for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!


	11. Exposure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again friends!!! A couple things: First of all...shameless self promotion!! I recently remade my deviantart page and I would appreciate it if you guys would check it out. (I've drawn danganronpa) Yeah, I feel lame doing this, but hey, worth a shot XD (it's Livitup03)
> 
> Second of all, yes, I'm totally ok if you guys wanna make theories in the comments. It's really fun to read!! I appreciate every comment, it gives me fuel to keep writing!!!
> 
> Finally, I have been asked about ships. I've been playing around with a lot of them. I'm not sure if I'm going to make anything official yet, but I do wanna try and include some moments that could be interpreted as how you guys want. It's only chapter eleven, we'll see how it goes XD
> 
> Anyways, that's all I got. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!!

"HEY!" yelled Kaito. He waved his arms around. Nothing. "HEEEEEEEEY!" he yelled again, jumping up and down. "COME ON YOU SICK BITCH!" he pulled the ultimate combination of jumping up and down while waving his hands.   
"You look utterly ridiculous Mr. Momota." the woman's voice was cool as ever. Maybe people hysterically yelling at her was normal in her world.   
"What the fuck are you people playing at!" Kaito yelled. "Seriously, this is getting sick. What is wrong with you?"  
"You will have to clarify." the woman said. She almost sounded bored.   
Kaito gritted his teeth. "Seriously? You're making two people work until they drop! You don't see anything wrong with that?"  
"You're right. It's not ideal. I would prefer for there to be more than two."  
Kaito's mouth fell open. "You sick bitch."  
"I liked you more before, Mr. Momota. Where is the version of yourself that believed in us? The version who listened and obeyed like a good boy?"  
"He opened his eyes and looked around." Kaito said, crossing his arms.   
"How unfortunate. No matter, we have ways to making them close again."  
"Are you threatening me?!"  
"Of course. It didn't have to be this way." the woman said. Kaito could almost see her shaking her head. "But as you said, your eyes are open now, and your behavior suggests that you may be more difficult to handle."  
"Because I don't like it when you mistreat people?!" Kaito felt like he was going to explode.   
"Welcome to the real world, Mr. Momota. Welcome to war. Welcome to reality. The world is a very unsatisfactory place. Do you want to know the reality of your actions? Yes, you are a pawn. You are a fool, you are a piece for us to push. You can scream and rave and curse me, but that will not change the fact that we are in control. Now, run along and go fetch your fellow pawns." there was a click, and Kaito could tell that the woman had left.   
Kaito wanted to scream. He wanted to punch and kick something, he wanted to tear his hair out, he wanted to do something-  
"So, how'd that go?"  
Kaito whirled and internally groaned. Kokichi was leaning against a hallway wall, arms crossed, looking as smug as ever. "How long have you been there for?"  
"Long enough." he shrugged, then grinned. "I was right, wasn't I? Imagine that! The truth being exposed by a liar!" he laughed.   
"This is funny to you?!" Kaito yelled. His rage had found a new target.   
"No. It's not." Kokichi said, face darkening. "Pretty sure I'm taking this more seriously than any of you. But you heard it yourself. We're pawns." his face shifted back into a carefree smile. "It's a game! I like games! You can break the rules and win without anyone knowing!"  
Kaito narrowed his eyes. Had it been anyone else, he would have dismissed them, but with Kokichi, everything seemed to have a double meaning. Was he really going to take a chance on a liar? Well, honestly he had a choice between two of them, and Kokichi seemed like the better bet. Kaito took a deep breath.   
"That true? You're good at cheating?"  
"Yes! Of course it's true." Kokichi said, nodding. Kaito noticed him jerk his head at a camera on the wall. Kaito was certain that it hadn't been on earlier. Now they were being watched.   
"Oh yeah?!" Kaito scoffed. "I bet I could play against you and win."  
Kokichi raised an eyebrow. "You think so, space boy?"  
"Yeah, I know so." Kaito felt his confidence growing. This he could do. If he had another person to play off of, he could probably sell this.   
"Well then, play a game with me!" Kokichi cheered, eyes sparkling with childlike innocence. "It's a fun game, I promise. We can even be on the same team! But after we play, be careful. I'm always the only winner."  
Was the last part a warning? Kaito wouldn't put it past Kokichi to have plans after they potentially toppled their overseers. For a moment he wondered if he was helping to set a dictator on the throne.   
"So, you wanna play?" Kokichi asked, holding his hand out. Kaito could have almost laughed. The lighthearted conversation playing over the serious stakes was almost comical.   
Kaito took his hand and shook it. "Yeah, let's do it."  
"Yay! Come on, we'll get started now!" with surprising strength Kokichi yanked Kaito by the hand down through the ship, only stopping when he got to his room. Kaito saw Kokichi lean down and type something onto the keypad on the door. Had he...given his room a password?"

"Are you a spy?" Kaito asked when they were both inside the room. Kokichi laughed.   
"No silly! I'm a supreme leader! I've told you all a bajillion times!" Kaito wasn't sure if he was still acting or not.  
"Oh by the by, there aren't any cameras in here. I look care of that. I made a loop of me doing non suspicious things." Kokichi said.   
So this was also his natural personality? Kaito wasn't sure. He guessed that it had been bold of him to assume that Kokichi would be fully truthful with him about anything. Was this how it was going to be? Him constantly being pushed around by manipulators?  
"Can I trust you?" Kaito asked, clenching his fists. He felt lost and alone.   
"Of course not." Kokichi said. Again the cheerful persona dropped away. "But I'm all you got, so we're gonna put away our differences like good kids and work together."  
"Wait!" Kaito yelled. "You literally just said I can't trust you! What's stopping me from walking away and getting, oh I don't know, Shuichi into this?"  
"You really wanna include others in this mess?" Kokichi asked. "The way I see it, we want the same thing really. To end this bullshit and get everyone home safe."  
"You actually care?" Kaito asked incredulously.   
"Of course I do!" Kokichi snapped. "Are you done with the stupid questions?"  
"So it's the two of us. And I can't trust you." Kaito said. "No, no more questions." he said sarcastically.   
Kokichi sighed. "I really hate you. Fine. You can trust me. For now."  
"Why do you treat trust like a bad thing?" Kaito asked.   
"Because it is!" Kokichi yelled. "Nothing good ever comes from trusting anyone. So if you can't trust me, I don't have to trust you." he crossed his arms and pouted like a child, but Kaito was almost certain that there was real pain in his eyes.   
Kaito felt like he was getting deja vu. Here he was again with a crewmate who he would have written off as just plain weird, only to find out that there was a lot more complexity than he could have ever imagined.   
"Ok, ok, yeah I get it." Kaito said, even though he really didn't. "But you can trust me too, ok? Even after this is all over."  
"Idiot." Kokichi sighed. "But fiiiiine. If you wanna pretend I trust you, go for it."  
"Goo-DON'T CALL ME AN IDIOT!" Kaito yelled. "And you said you hated me? What the hell man?! Why didn't you go pick someone else?"  
"Because there's something you don't know." Kokichi said sweetly. "Actually a lot of things, but I think that there might be a mole."  
Kaito pictured a little digging creature. "How would a mole get in space?"  
"No!" Kokichi snapped. "A traitor! A spy! Someone sent to keep an eye on us. Maybe more than one!"  
"And what makes you sure it's not me?" Kaito asked, crossing his arms.  
"Oh please, you're waaaaay too stupid to be a traitor. And besides, you're like the most emotional person ever. You could never dictate your feelings enough."  
Kokichi did have a point. "And how do I know it's not you?"  
"You don't." Kokichi shrugged. "That's actually an idea I had. Pretend to be the spy and fuck with the real one. Maybe piss em' off enough to reveal themself."  
"Ok, so it's not you." Kaito said, rolling his eyes. "Who do you think it is?"  
"Well, at first I thought anyone was fair game." Kokichi said, shifting aside some items on his desk, revealing something that looked suspiciously like something a serial killer would have in the movies. It was a board with pictures of his classmates. Some had red X's over their faces.   
"What the hell is this? A hit list?"  
"No!" Kokichi yelled. "I work through things better when I can visualize it. And chill, the crossed out ones are the ones who aren't the spy." Well that made the red X over Kaito's own face slightly less concerning.   
"So, are you sure? That they aren't?" Kaito asked.   
"Observe." Kokichi said, tapping the board. "Shuichi's not it. He doesn't have any prior knowledge of space stuff, so why send him?"  
"How do you know?"  
"I tripped an alarm saying the engine was gonna explode while he was alone and he practically passed out."  
"Jesus!"  
"Hey it worked. Besides, I'm leaving him out of this little operation. If anything goes wrong, we can leave him whatever we get out of it and hope that he can drive it home."  
"So he's your backup plan."  
"Obviously I have one." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes. "I've ruled out Kaede too. She's gotten waaaay too attached to everybody to betray them." he dragged his fingertip across the board. "And here's you, my little space muffin. After I saw your reaction I was certain it wasn't you."  
"Space muffin?"  
"No on Ryoma too." Kokichi said. "I did some digging, and his story checks out. No way he would work for the bad guys after what he's went through. For a little guy, he's scary."  
"Said the little guy."  
"Hey! I'm taller than him!" Kokichi snapped. "Tenko's out too. She's terrifying, but she doesn't have the recon skills. Same with Kiyo, which sucks. I was kinda sure it was him, but there's definitely something going on up here." Kokichi gestured to his head. "And I doubt they'd use a less than stable spy. That reminds me." He crossed off Angie's name.   
"What did you do that for?"  
"Can't be her. I heard your little exchange about them using her religion against her. She takes way too much pride in her beliefs. If she was a part of the other side, she wouldn't let them do that."  
"So who do we have, me, you, Shuichi, Kaede, Ryoma, Tenko, Kiyo, Angie?" Kaito asked.   
"Yup, that's half the list!" Kokichi said. "Gonta's also not it. There's not enough brain cells. The guy cuddled with a giant space bug. Totally not him."  
"Yeah, that makes sense." Kaito said. "So that leaves...seven?"  
Kokichi nodded. "Yeah, these are all the ones I could rule out indefinitely. My category ones! Next are my category twos. Ones I really don't think are the spy, but I can't prove that, and that's suspicious." he paused for a moment. "I need an acronym for that."  
"Who's in there?" Kaito asked, looking at the pictures marked with a blue question mark.   
"Himiko."  
"HIMIKO?"  
"Think about it! Did they seriously send someone as dumb as her into space!?" Kokichi asked. "Even Kaede has some use, but Himiko? She's completely useless! Come on, you know that's weird."  
"Yeah. You're right." Kaito said slowly.   
"Tsmugi's the only other category two. She's just too plain, you know? Like the world's lamest backstory."  
"She's really sweet though." Kaito said, remembering how she'd clung to him while he and Maki rescued her.   
"Remember, I haven't been able to prove that they aren't." Kokichi said. "That means something."  
"True." Kaito said. "There's five others, right?"  
"Yup, those are the category threes. The ones I haven't been able to prove are innocent, but they also do things that makes it even more suspicious."  
"Who's in there?"  
"Robo-boy for one."  
"What? Why?"  
"Think about it. How much do we really know about him? Who built him? What can he really do? Sure call me a robophobe or whatevs, but come on, a freaking android sent by the puppeteers themselves? We gotta be cautious."  
Kaito nodded, feeling bad.   
"Miu too. Sure, she's kind of a waste of space, but she's smart, and she does have skills, as shitty as they are."  
"Yeah, I could see that." Kaito said slowly. He felt slimy. There he was, preaching about believing in everyone, and here he was now, accusing some of them of being traitors.   
"And Kirumi. She's way too skilled for just a maid." Kokichi said. "Seriously, she reminds me of a black ops agent or something!"  
"I can see that too." Kaito said. Kokichi seemed to have put a lot of thought into it.   
"And then there's the lovely sweet sunshiney Maki."  
"Maki?" Kaito asked. "It's not her."  
"How do you know?" Kokichi asked, looking at him with interest. "I haven't been able to find anything out about her. Well, anything that proves her innocence..."  
"Well, I don't know anything for sure...but I have a feeling."  
"Oh, thank god, a feeling." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes. "She's a combat specialist, remember? And I asked her what her talent was. The Ultimate Child Caregiver. Does that sound like our Maki?"  
"No." Kaito admitted. Crap, Kokichi was getting in his head.   
"And finally, Rantaro."  
"Rantaro?!" Kaito's eyes were wide. "No way. No freaking way. He's been there for me, he's my co captain, I trust him!" Kaito said desperately. With Maki there was room for suspicion, but Rantaro?"  
"He knows something." Kokichi said. "He's too comfortable up here. He knows something we don't, and he never seems surprised when the lady throws something new at us."  
"No way. No way." Kaito said, shaking his head. "It's not Rantaro or Maki."  
"Well when you get me some proof, I'll believe it." Kokichi shrugged.   
"Kokichi, it's not them." Kaito said.   
Kokichi smirked. "Awww, upset I'm accusing your girlfriend and boyfriend?"   
"Shut up! I don't want to accuse people I know are innocent!" Kaito snapped.   
"It's all about the proof." Kokichi shrugged.   
"Fine. I'll get some." Kaito heard his data pad ping, but he ignored it. He was already striding out of the room.   
"Wait, Kaito look at thi-"  
But Kaito was already running. 

"Kaito? Are you ok?" Shuichi asked as Kaito ran by.   
"Have you seen Maki?" Kaito yelled back.  
"Yeah, she was in the weapons room but wait! What's wrong!" Kaito could hear Shuichi running after him. He didn't care. He trusted Shuichi. God, he felt sick. He was accusing his crewmates of treason. Not for long. He'd clear Maki and Rantaro's name at the very least.   
Kaito flew into the weapons bay and yelped, holding his hands up. Maki had whirled the second he'd entered, pointing a rifle at his chest. "DON'T SHOOT!"  
"Sorry." Maki said, lowering the gun. "You scared me."  
"Sorry." Kaito said breathlessly. "Maki, what's your talent?"  
"Child caregiver." Maki said automatically. "Why?"  
"Are you sure?" Kaito panted.   
"I think I'd know my own talent." Maki said coolly.   
"Ok then. I believe you." Kaito said. Maki stared at him.  
"Wait, why?"  
"If you say that's your talent, than it's good enough for me." Kaito said, straightening. He looked at the gun and grinned. "I bet you're really good at protecting kids, huh?"  
Maki stared at him dumbstruck. Before she could speak, Shuichi stumbled into the room.   
"Easy there sidekick!" Kaito said, catching Shuichi before he could fall on his face.   
"Sorry, I tripped." he mumbled, face burning, eyes on the ground.   
"It happens." Kaito said good naturedly, patting him on the back. "Bro, you should see Maki handle a gun. I thought I was gonna pee myself."  
Maki's cheeks reddened slightly. "Do you need something?"  
"Yeah, I wanted to ask what your talent was." Kaito said.  
"So you ran down here like your hair was on fire?" Maki asked, raising her eyebrow.   
"Yeah, it was kind of an emergency, but it's ok now." Kaito said. "I believe you. I feel better now."  
"Kaito, you shouldn't be so trusting." Maki said, lowering her eyes slightly.   
"Why not? You're trustworthy." Kaito said. "Can you hit those targets way over there? I wanna see!"  
"You're like a three year old." Maki said, placing the gun back on the wall. "Is that all you needed?"  
"I mean, yeah. Unless you wanna hang out or something?"  
"Hang out?" Maki asked blankly. "This is a high stakes mission."  
"Yeah! And the food up here is really good!" Kaito said.  
"Are you serious?" Maki looked unsure if she was going to laugh or punch him. Kaito feared the latter.   
"Guys?" Shuichi asked quietly. "Look at this." he held out his datapad. 

We extend this as a warning. We know more about you than you know about each other. If you fail to complete orders again, a secret will be exposed to the others. You know which one. 

Kaito's stomach clenched. He certainly knew what secret they were talking about. Maki's face paled as she looked her own data pad. Shuichi looked more nervous than usual. These people. Kaito was furious again, but he put on his leader face.   
"It's gonna be ok guys." Kaito said, trying to sound reassuring. "Whatever they have on us, it's not that bad."  
Maki looked up with him wordlessly. She didn't need to say anything for Kaito to know how she felt. For the first time since he had met her, Maki looked terrified. 

"We're fucked!" Miu yelled. "Fucked I say!"  
"I don't even know which secret they're talking about for me." Kokichi mused.   
"Gonta not have any secrets! Not polite to keep secrets." Gonta said, petting Blinky's head.   
"Everyone calm down!" Kaito yelled. "Panicking isn't going to get us anywhere!" he looked towards the normally calm members of the crew. Ryoma's eyes were dark. Kiyo was weaving his fingers through his hair, slowly tightening his grip. Kaede was wrapping her arms around herself. And Rantaro...  
Rantaro wasn't here. Kaito looked around. "Has anyone seen Rantaro?"  
As soon as he asked, Rantaro came rushing into the lounge. "Sorry! I was taking a shower. Space shower. Wow, what a concept." his hair was damp, Kaito could see that much.   
"You wanna share your deepest secret with us?" Kokichi asked.   
"I beg your pardon?"  
Kaito showed him the data pad. Rantaro read silently, brow furrowing. "Bastards."  
"Yeah." Kaito said. He had a cold feeling in his stomach. Rantaro had barely reacted. Did he know this was coming?  
"I think we should just tell our secrets." Kokichi said. "So they can't hold that against us-"  
"No." Maki said. Several others nodded in agreement.  
"I think he has a point." Ryoma said slowly. "We need to take away their power. Look guys, this might not mean much coming from me, but I personally promise to not see you guys differently no matter what your secret is."  
Kaito felt his chest warm a little. Ryoma was a remarkable person.   
"No, I'm sorry." Maki said, shaking her head. "I can't."  
"We have to." Ryoma pushed. "I can go first."  
"Ryoma you don't have to-" Kaito was cut off.   
"So it's been made pretty clear that I'm a prisoner." Ryoma said. "But I'll tell you why. I went pro for a while in tennis. Traveled around, partied like an animal, got into some dumb stuff. I walked into something I shouldn't have. Turned out a certain tournament I was in had some ties with the mafia."  
"I think I heard something like that." Tsmugi said softly.   
"But you don't know how it ends." Ryoma said. "I decided to be a damn hero. I took em on myself. Used the only weapons I knew how to use. Racquet and balls. I hit em into their heads as hard as I could. I killed over twenty of them." he sighed heavily. "Most of them were younger than I was. Just people who went the wrong way in life. And I killed them." he grimaced. "Originally I was supposed to be a hero. But I refused that. I killed people. I begged them to arrest me, to treat me like any other killer. And they did. I've been in jail for two and a half years now, and I got the death penalty recently. Pretty sure that'll still be on when I get back." he fixed the group with a pained stare. "So there you go. You're traveling with a murderer."  
"Ryoma..." Kaede said softly.   
"Don't say anything." Ryoma said. "I made my choice. There's my secret. Do what you will." he shrugged.   
"I think you might be the bravest out of all of us." Kaito said.   
"If that was true, I wouldn't have resorted to killing in the first place." Ryoma said. He sighed heavily.   
"Who's next?" Kokichi asked. No one spoke.   
"Come on guys." Kaito said.   
"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not." Kiyo said.  
Suddenly Blinky perked up. He raised his antennae.   
"We are here." Gonta said.   
Kaito felt a chill run down his spine. The crew made their way to the cockpit window.   
The Hive was huge. It was a collection of large chunks of rock, each one slightly bigger than the moon. Ships connected the rocks together, transporting things back and forth. On the largest rock, a high walled building could be seen.   
"It looks like a floating city." Tsmugi said.   
"That was a whole planet once." Kiibo said. "It was destroyed. It was broken apart but they rebuilt."  
"That means they're hard to kill." Kaito said, clenching his fists.   
"How remarkable." Kiyo's eyes were shining. "Their resourcefulness is unmatched!"  
"Who's side are you on?" Miu snapped.   
"What now?" Kaede asked.  
"You go in." the woman's cold voice made them all jump. "You have arrived at the homeworld. You will now move into position on an abandoned planet remnant. Kiibo has been given the coordinates."  
Kiibo's eyes suddenly flashed. "Yes, I've received them." he moved over to the controls and typed the coordinates in. 

Kaito felt himself sitting alone with Rantaro in the cockpit as he guided it towards the planet chunk. Kaito tried to act as normal as possible, but he couldn't resist sneaking a look at Rantaro every few minutes, as if he'd suddenly give himself up as the spy.   
"So this is it." Rantaro said. "It's so big and organized. I don't know what I thought we were gonna find. Not this."  
"Yeah, it's a lot." Kaito said. "What are we going to do about it?"  
"I don't know." Rantaro shook his head. "Whatever we can I guess." Kaito noticed his hands were shaking.   
"Hey, you ok?" Kaito asked.   
Rantaro looked down at his hands and laughed weakly. "Damn, that always gives me away. I'm alright, just thinking..." he trailed off. "They really do know what buttons to push, huh?"  
"What?"  
"Those people at ground control." Rantaro said. "Shoulda known they would pull this."  
"How do you know?" Kaito asked, before he could stop himself. "When they do things?"  
"Because I've done it befo-" Rantaro seemed to catch himself. Kaito was stunned. Was this it? Had he caught the spy?  
Rantaro groaned softly and slumped forward onto the dashboard, head in his hands. Kaito was suddenly nervous. He'd never seen Rantaro act like this. He was always the composed, caring one who supported everyone else.   
Kaito never thought he'd see him crumple under that weight. He pushed all of his suspicions and paranoia aside, gently laying a hand on Rantaro's shoulder. "Hey, talk to me."  
"I'll be fine." Rantaro said, sounding anything but. "Just gimme a sec to pull myself together."  
"Hell no, you're not fine. Talk to me. Captains orders! Or I'll...flush you out an airlock."  
Rantaro actually chuckled. "Fine. Damn, this is ironic. I thought I was gonna handle this whole damn mission myself. I'm trusting you, ok?"  
Kaito nodded.   
"There are two secrets they have on me, and I wasn't sure which they'd use. Now I know. They're secrets that'll tear us apart, like Ryoma being a murderer. So I know which one mine is." he looked at Kaito. Kaito was taken aback by how tired he looked. "This isn't my first mission. I lied when I said I haven't been to space before."  
"That's the secret?" Kaito asked.   
"Part of it. I was the leader of an exploration team. We were investigating some scout ships that were hanging around the imperial. I...I went against orders. I left my crew to look for something else." he let his face fall back into his hands.   
"Hey." Kaito said gently. "It's ok."  
"No it's not. They all died. They died because I left them. Torn apart." Rantaro said. "When I came back they were everywhe-" his voice broke and Kaito felt his shoulders shake slightly.   
Here Kaito was again in an emotional situation. He found himself awkwardly rubbing Rantaro's back.   
"I'm ok. I'm ok." Rantaro said. When he looked at Kaito, he had clearly already started pulling himself back together. "Some leader huh?"  
"The fifty second official voyage." Kaito said slowly. "They said everyone died."  
"Not everyone." Rantaro said. "But sometimes I wish-"  
"Hell no, no you don't. You're here with us now." Kaito said firmly. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without you."  
"So it's only a matter of time until I kill you all too."   
"No!" Kaito said sharply, standing up. "That won't happen again. I promise. We're all getting back alive. You said you went to look for something. I'll help you find it."  
Rantaro ducked his head again, and Kaito thought he saw him wipe at his eyes. When he looked up, he looked determined.   
"You mean that?"  
"Of course!" Kaito said. "I believe in every single one of you. You're my co-captain. I trust you."  
"Oh my god." Rantaro sighed, taking a deep breath. He smoothed his hair back. "I'm a mess."  
"I think we all are." Kaito laughed. "But hey, we're in this together."  
"That we are." Rantaro nodded, standing up. "Guess we're gonna do whatever we have to, huh?"  
"Yeah." Kaito said. "We're going to get home. We're going to save everyone."  
"We're going to make those bastards at ground control pay." Rantaro said darkly.   
"Woah!" Kaito said. "You're kinda scary, you know that right?"  
"What? Sorry." Rantaro said sheepishly. "My sisters used to tell me that too. Apparently the day I scared a bully off, they weren't sure who was more scared. Him or them." he shook his head. "Guess I've gotten attached to you all. Having people I care about threatened brings out my scary side."  
"Then I'm glad your on my side." Kaito laughed. He felt lighter. Rantaro wasn't the traitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go!! I hope you guys enjoyed. If you feel like making theories, I wanna hear them XD  
> Anyways, thanks so much for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a fantastic day!!


	12. Twinkle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaagh, I've been gone for a long time. I had mid terms, and I spent the last two days sleeping honestly...but I'm here now!! All of your guys' comments are so much fun to read!!! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

"Well." Kokichi said finally. "This looks like it's going to be so much fun." The crew had been staring out the cockpit window for fifteen minutes now, awaiting orders. Kaito had entertained thoughts of leaving without orders, but then the truth set in. He had no idea what to do.   
"We're on a literal alien planet, and all we're doing is sitting around." Miu sighed, crossing her arms. "Someone give me something to do."  
"Who want's to share their deep dark secret?" Kokichi asked innocently.  
"Fuck off." Miu growled. Kokichi snickered.   
A series of pings sounded from everyone's datapad. A file had been sent to everyone, labeled "Instructions." Somehow, this gave Kaito a sense of satisfaction. The woman wouldn't be speaking to them personally, it seemed.   
"So...I guess we do these?" Maki asked slowly. Upon a closer investigation, Kaito saw that each person had been assigned a series of actions required to proceed with the mission. There was a timer above the instruction file. Thirty minutes.   
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Kokichi groaned. "I have to stay here again?"  
"It seems reasonable. You're the only one of us able to handle technology like you can." Kirumi said peacefully.   
"Don't be sad! Kiyo and I will be here too!" Angie said.   
"Great."  
Korekiyo however, was looking at his datapad. He looked a shade paler than normal.   
"Hey, you good?" Kaito asked.  
"They want me to create a complete cultural and social profile for the alien species as a whole. In thirty minutes. When I have a distinct lack of previous information."  
"But you can do it, right?" Kaede asked. The silence she got in response sent a spike of anxiety through Kaito's stomach.  
"Nyeh. I'm staying here too. What a pain." Himiko said. Kaito noted that she sounded happier than usual. He suspected she really didn't have any issues with staying where it was safe.   
"I'll hang out with you then." Kaede said, shrugging apologetically. "I'm staying too."  
"Great. They're leaving the useless junk here. And I'm a part of it." Kokichi grumbled. "I'm guessing it's you and me again Kii-boy."  
"Actually, I'm going." Kiibo said, pointing to his name on the list. "I can be helpful."  
"Fantastic!" Kokichi threw his hands up.   
Kaito scanned the list quickly. At the bottom of the individual list of orders, each person had been assigned either "leave" or "stay." Kaito naturally would be leaving.  
"Hey, I'm joining the useless junk club!" Tsmugi said, shrugging.   
"Yay!" Angie cheered. "This will be fun!" Kokichi looked miserable.   
So Maki, Rantaro, Kirumi, Tenko, Gonta, Rantaro, Shuichi, Kiibo, Miu and Kaito would be going, while Kokichi, Angie, Kiyo, Kaede, Himiko and Tsmugi stayed. It was a reasonable divide. Kaito was happy to keep as many people out of danger as possible.   
"Someone has to babysit Blinky!" Gonta said suddenly. "Is very important!"  
Kokichi groaned dramatically. Angie however, became even more delighted. "I will paint his shell!"  
"Ok, everyone happy?" Kaito asked.   
Kokichi glared at him. "Obviously not!"  
Angie poked Kiyo in the shoulder, who hadn't moved. "I think he is dying." Kiyo was ghost white, eyes darting back and forth. He appeared to be thinking and panicking internally at the same time. Kaito could sympathize.   
"Helloooo!" Angie waved her hand in front of his face. "There is nobody home, hm?"  
"Gonta will get Blinky's things ready." Gonta said. He turned to Tsmugi. "Gonta have important mission for you. Blinky need nice blanket. He make one out of Gonta's shirt, but it not warm enough. Can Gonta trust you with this?"  
"Uh, yeah! One bug blanket, coming up!" Tsmugi said.   
"Himiko, are you sure you're gonna be ok on your own?" Tenko asked worriedly.   
"Nyeh? But I'm not going to be alone."  
"I hate everything! I hate everyone here! I hate space! I hate bugs! I hate the government! I hate spaceships!" Kokichi complained.   
"EVERYONE CHILL!" Kaito yelled. "Uh, sorry, but we gotta stay focused. Everyone grab your stuff, suit up and get ready. Rantaro, you supervise that. Everyone who's staying here, uh...yeah you're ground crew now! Kaede, you're queen of the ground crew, go get everyone organized." Kaito said. That was some good leadership. He was nailing it. "Me and Kiibo gotta go do something."  
Kiibo nodded. "Don't worry. It won't slow us down. I don't require a suit."  
"Hey, so are you technically naked or something? All the time?" Kokichi asked.   
"I-Huh?! No! I'm not-Why would you even-"  
"Kokichi, go." Kaito sighed.   
Kokichi scowled. "I hate ground crew. I hate astronauts. I hate robots." he slunk off in the direction of the rest of the ground crew.   
"That's robophobic." Kiibo said softly.   
Kaito clapped him on the shoulder, ignoring the metallic clang that sounded. "Ignore him, we got super cool secret stuff to do!"  
"We're just going to a server room." Kiibo said. "It's nothing fancy."  
"Well...I wanna make it fancy." Kaito said.   
"That seems like a waste of effort. You'd just be disappointed."  
"You know what, forget it." Kaito sighed. "Let's just go."

The server room housed the core of all technological additions to the ship. The amount of data being processed here maxed out at a number that was higher than Kaito could count. It was small, only the size of a closet, but it was still impressive.   
"For the record, I'm not disappointed. I feel like a spy." Kaito said. "I've never really gone in server rooms before."  
"That's because the training programs for server based jobs have been cut." Kiibo said. "Ideally everything will be machine run..." he trailed off. "But that's not a bad thing! I'm sure the machines will be friendly! Like me! I'm friendly! I think..."  
Kaito laughed. "Yeah, you're awesome dude."   
Kiibo pressed a panel on his arm, which retracted revealing a myriad of machine parts Kaito could never hope to understand. "Woah."  
"Oh! Sorry, does that freak you out?" Kiibo asked, covering the open panel with his other hand.   
"No way! That's awesome!" Kaito said. "Can I touch it?"  
"Um..."  
"Ok, that's a no then. My bad." Kaito laughed.   
Kiibo plugged a wire from a server machine into his arm. "Sorry, this will take a minute."  
"So what are you doing?" Kaito asked.   
"Downloading some additional information stored." Kiibo said. His eyes were closed. "It was stored here before the launch. I was given orders to retrieve it at certain interviews. Ah, sorry! Intervals. Sorry, it's hard to have conversations while progressing, I mean processing!"  
"You're good." Kaito said, leaning against a machine and shutting up. Computers and AI had always been some of his favorite topics to read about. He'd never thought that he'd meet a fully functioning robot. The human aspects of Kiibo astounded him.  
"Ok, sorry, that took fourteen seconds longer than I thought." Kiibo said, unplugging the wire and closing the panel.   
"You're good. So what did you learn?"  
"I can't say." Kiibo said. "I can only reveal the instructions at the right time."  
"Come on." Kaito teased. "You can trust me."  
"My programming prevents me from going against orders." Kiibo said seriously. That drove a thought into Kaito's head like a spike.   
Kiibo could easily be the traitor. He could be programmed to be the traitor. Shit.   
Kaito shoved his hands in his pockets. "Alright, I'll wait then." He said, forcing another easy smile on his face. "Now what?"  
"You should go suit up." Kiibo said. "We have twelve minutes remaining until our departure time."  
"Ok." Kaito said. "But first I wanna swing by the ground crew room to make sure it hasn't exploded or something."

The ground control room had not exploded. Angie, Himiko, Kaede and Tsmugi were sitting in the middle of the room chatting. Blinky sat nearby, happily receiving attention from all four. Kaito noticed that Tsmugi had fabric for a blanket in her hands.   
Kokichi had set himself up in a corner, still looking grumpy. He was angrily pressing keys on his datapad. When Kaito glanced over his shoulder, he saw it was a list titled "Things I hate" It was getting to be a long list.   
"How are we looking in here?" Kaito asked, looking around. Kiyo had been pacing back and forth. "Hey, you got that profile done yet?"  
"No!" Kiyo snapped. "It's impossible, I can't." he brought his hands up to his hair and pulled hard.   
"Woah hey! Don't do that!" Kaito said, grabbing his hand. "Uh, sorry, physical contact." he said apologetically. "Look, I'm sure whatever you have is fine."  
"It's all purely hypothetical." Korekiyo argued. He seemed too stressed to acknowledge Kaito grabbing him. "I can't conclude anything. It's all guesses."  
"Well, what can I do to help?" Kaito asked.   
"You? You hardly posses the skills, mentality or patience to do this kind of work." Kiyo said incredulously.   
"Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot." Kaito grumbled. "But what can I do to help out?"  
"Oh, I didn't mean that you were an idiot. I meant that, never mind, never mind, you can't do anything. My failures confirmed that."  
"Is everything alright?" Kirumi asked, knocking on the doorframe. "I was sent to look for you, Kaito."  
"Shit, yeah, sorry." Kaito said.   
"We have seven minutes." Kirumi added.   
Kaito felt Kiyo jerk his hand towards his head, but Kaito held firm. "Come on, hey, it's ok. You gotta have something, right?"  
"No. I'd have to see it for myself I'd have to..." Kaito felt him relax slightly. "I have to be there. Let me go with you."   
"What?!" Kaito asked. "Why?!"  
"I assure you, if I can gather data for myself, I can decipher their entire civilization." Kiyo said. "I have to see it. You have to let me see it. An entire race that shadows the human one, or do we shadow them? I need to see it Kaito."  
"Ok, ok, uh, I think we could?" Kaito asked. "Jeez, I don't know." his elation at the lack of personal contact from the woman was fading. He was helpless without their instructions.   
"I will trade places with you, if that is what you wish." Kirumi said. "I can remain here and takes notes as you would. I cannot promise they will be to your standards-"  
"Excellent, perfect." Korekiyo's eyes lit up. "It doesn't matter, I'll be there in person. Just keep Angie on track."  
"Is this a good idea?" Kiibo asked quietly. "I don't want to go against orders."  
"I think it's ok." Kaito answered.   
"How do you know?"  
"A gut feeling." Kaito grinned. "This is the right choice."  
"What?! You're basing this off of a gut feeling?" Kiibo asked. "I've run the statistics, and switching Kirumi out for Kiyo leaves us at a physical disadvantage...but if Kiyo could actually get the complete profile we'd gain a huge intellectual advantage which we could use to gain further advantages...Ohhhhh."  
"You're a robot, how did you not realize that before me?" Kaito asked.   
"Oh, um, I don't always think to look outside my programming." Kiibo said sheepishly.   
That gave Kaito a cold feeling. Kiibo could be the traitor without even knowing. 

"There you are!" Tenko exclaimed. "Hey! What's he doing here?!" She glared at Kiyo accusingly.   
"Change of plans." Kaito said, fumbling with his gear. "We need Kiyo in the field with us. Kirumi's gonna hold down the fort here."  
"So we traded in Kirumi for a degenerate male?!" Tenko protested. "What can he do that she can't?"  
"Crack open alien secrets like a nut." Kaito said, clapping Kiyo on the shoulder, who flinched in response.   
"Yes, something to that degree." he sighed.   
"Ok. I trust Kaito's judgement." Maki said.   
"Gonta will protect him!" Gonta said cheerfully. "No one will hurt friends if Gonta is around!"   
"Alright then, let's get started. So, anyone have an idea of what we do now?"  
"We board the shuttles and travel to a predetermined drop site on the alpha cluster." Kiibo responded automatically.   
"Woah. You're like a gps." Kaito said.   
"The fuck's an alpha cluster?" Miu asked, crossing her arms.   
"The largest collection of rocks." Kiibo said. "And I'm not a gps! I can do so much more!"   
"Alright. Who's driving?" Rantaro asked.   
"ME!" Miu blurted. "And it's gonna go better this time."  
"Maki and Miu are with me." Tenko said, grabbing the arms of the two females. "The rest of you degenerates can figure it out."   
"I think we should have five in each shuttle. Balance it out." Shuichi said quietly.  
"If it helps, I technically don't have a sex or gender. You're welcome to view me as a female if it makes you more comfortable." Kiibo offered.   
Tenko's face reddened. "Uh, yeah, I'd like that."   
"Awww." Rantaro said quietly. Kaito only felt sick. Could Kiibo really be the traitor? He seemed so pure."  
"Well, which one of us is the most girly?" Ryoma joked. Kaito turned towards Kiyo.   
The anthropologist raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
"Oh. You were joking." Kaito said awkwardly. "My bad."   
"Eh. He'll work." Tenko said, crossing her arms. "Now let's get this space party started!"

Kaito looked over his shoulder at Rantaro, Ryoma, Shuichi and Gonta. "Should I get worried about the whole degenerate male thing?"  
"What does degenerate mean?" Gonta asked. He was hunched over in the shuttle.   
"She probably has a reason for it." Shuichi said. "I don't wanna push her."  
"It might make teamwork harder though." Rantaro said. "I'd offer to talk to her, but I'm a degenerate male."  
"I'll get Kaede to do it." Kaito said. "So none of us end up dead."  
"Tenko is friend! Gonta not want to hurt friend." Gonta said.   
"You might just be the sweetest person on the planet big guy." Ryoma said.   
"But we not on planet. We in space." Gonta said, pointing out the shuttle window.   
"In the galaxy then." Ryoma said.   
"So, you guys ready to see some aliens?" Kaito asked.   
"No." Rantaro said darkly. "But they'll be wishing they never saw me."  
"Damn! That's aggressive!" Kaito said.   
"Too much? Sorry." Rantaro laughed.   
"It's ok if you really feel that way." Shuichi spoke up.   
"Beg your pardon?" Rantaro asked, turning to face him.  
Shuichi's face reddened. "Sorry! Um, that's an act. The laughing things off. You have some pretty strong feelings about all this, and um, you act like you're not bothered by it. I'm sorry."  
"Damn, you've got me figured out too, huh?" Rantaro said. "Don't apologize. You gotta stand up for what you know as fact."  
Shuichi kept his eyes on the ground.   
"Hey, I'm not gonna attack you or anything." Rantaro said. "You're perfectly safe with me. Practice speaking your mind."  
"Yeah bro! You got good things to say." Kaito added.  
Shuichi's face reddened. "Thank you guys."   
"No problem." Ryoma said. "And Rantaro, don't laugh it off. You don't have to."  
Rantaro shrugged. "I'd rather worry about you guys than worry about me."  
"Then Gonta will worry about you for you." Gonta said seriously. He squinted his eyes. "Gonta is worrying really hard right now."  
"Aw stop." Rantaro said, shaking his head, smiling.   
Kaito grinned. He was going to keep the mood light. "Who wants to sing a song!"  
"No way." Ryoma said.   
"Gonta will sing song with you." Gonta said excitedly.   
"Great! The wheels on the bus go round and round-"  
"But we are not on bus."  
"Ok...The wheels on the space shuttle go round and ro-  
"But shuttle no have wheels."  
"Gonta, you're killing me man!" Kaito protested. "Fine. We'll sing a space song. Uh...Twinkle twinkle little star."  
"How I wonder what you are." Gonta and Rantaro joined in on the next verse.   
"Up above the world so high." Shuichi joined too.  
"Yeah! Come on Ryoma!" Kaito cheered.   
"No."  
"Ryoma!"  
"I said no dammit."  
"RYOMA YOU'RE GONNA SING OR I'M TURNING THIS SHUTTLE AROUND!" Kaito yelled.   
"Jesus, ok, don't hurt yourself." Ryoma said. He joined in at the last verse.  
"That's what I'm talking about! Ok, again! All together!"  
"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are." the crew chorused. Kaito could pick out Ryoma's deep bass voice easily. Gonta sang the loudest while Shuichi sang the quietest. Rantaro's voice wasn't bad at all.   
"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."  
"Oh yeah! Feel it! Feel the music!" Kaito cheered.   
"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."  
"One more time! Bring us home!" Kaito whooped.   
"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."   
"Ok, ok, big finale." Kaito said, turning around in his seat to conduct with his hands. "Ryoma, stay where you are on base. Everyone else, you're tenor. I'm gonna go for soprano." Kaito said, waving his hands in time with the song. "Twinkle twinkle little star, ok, here we go, how I wonder what you AAAAAAAAARE!" Kaito screeched.   
It was possibly the most ungodly sound known to human kind. The five were reduced to laughter.   
"Wow, that was great guys." Kokichi said drily, applauding.   
Kaito jumped. "Oh hey, sup?"  
"Nice singing guys." Kaede laughed.   
"Thank you." Gonta said cheerfully.   
"Ok! You're almost there! You will land in that crater there! Atua loved the singing." Angie added.   
"We never speak of this again." Ryoma grumbled. 

"Did you see that? How was that for a mother fucking perfect landing!" Miu crowed. "You all can kiss my fucking ass."  
"Good job Miu, nice landing." Rantaro said. Miu practically glowed.   
"If singing is a requirement for riding with you, I'm never getting in another shuttle with you ever again." Maki said. Kaito jumped. He hadn't heard her approach.   
"Aw come on! It's loads of fun-Wait, you guys heard that too?"  
"I thought it was the scream of a pregnant alien." Miu said, rolling her eyes. "Don't join a choir Kaito."  
Kaito laughed. "Are you sure? I think we sounded pretty good."  
"Let's continue this discussion about your musical careers later." Kirumi spoke up.   
"Yeah, ok." Kaito said, looking around. "Uh...Kiibo tell me what to do."  
"ME?" Kiibo spluttered. "I'm not sure!"  
"What?! You said you downloaded instructions!"  
"I should make popcorn." Kaito heard Kokichi say.   
"Ok, ok." Kaito said. "Well. I assume we head towards the biggest creepy building."  
"Wow, great idea!" Kokichi said sarcastically.   
"Well I'm going." Kaito said.   
"There is a side entrance about fourteen kilometers ahead of us." Kiibo spoke up. "That's the best entry point."  
"See? Called it." Kaito grinned. "Let's roll."

It turned out walking fourteen kilometers took a while. The ground made it even more difficult, they were walking across a craggy, hole riddled terrain. At this point Kaito was more concerned about broken ankles than aliens.   
"Woah, careful!" Kaito said, grabbing Shuichi by the arm before he could stumble.   
"Sorry!" Shuichi said quickly.   
"Yeah, you're good-hey guys! What's the hold up!?" Kaito turned around to see Kiyo crouching down over a hole while Gonta stood beside him.   
"Gonta protecting friend!" Gonta called cheerfully, waving.   
"Don't tell me you've never seen a hole before." Miu said, rolling her eyes.   
Kiyo slowly trailed his fingers over the rim of a larger hole. "Do you know what this is?"  
"A hole?" Tenko asked.   
"No. Well, yes. But it's more." Kiyo's eyes had taken on a strange light. "They're evenly spaced. Some of them have smaller rocks placed in perfect rings around them. The larger holes have more decorations. Do you know what this means?"  
"That you need to get out more?" Tenko asked.   
"It's a graveyard." Kiyo said. "We're walking amongst their dead."  
"OH GOD!" Tenko yelled, looking disgusted.   
"Are you serious?!" Kaito asked.   
"Mhm. It's too perfect to be natural. I assume the larger ones are for those who were high in their society."  
"Why do you even know that?! You into dead things or something?" Miu snapped.   
"Does insulting me take away your fear?" Korekiyo stood up. Kaito could have sworn he was smiling under his mask. "Are you superstitious? What's wrong Miu? Does the thought of walking atop slowly decaying alien bodies disturb you?"  
"Jesus Christ! You're a fucking freak!" Miu yelled, looking more nervous than she had a minute ago.   
"Of course, I can't be certain that there are actually bodies here."  
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Miu wailed.   
"It could just be a sort of memorial wall."  
"Gonta think they eat their dead." Gonta said.   
"WHAT?!" Miu was getting paler by the minute.  
"Some bugs not pass up good source of food." Gonta shrugged.   
"How fascinating. They sate their human urges by creating graves, but fulfill their insect urges by consuming their dead." Kiyo said. "There is a way to be sure. I think you could fit down one Ryoma."  
"Hell no." the tennis pro quickly turned away.   
"I think I've finally found a use for Kokichi." Kiyo continued.   
"WHAT?!" Kokichi yelled.   
"No one's going in the bug grave!" Kaito yelled. "Jesus, this is fucked. Why would they send us in through a cemetery?"  
"What better place is there? Everywhere else is, forgive the pun, swarming with activity. No one comes here. Perhaps they fear the dead just as humans do." Kiyo said.   
"Actually, I don't think they knew it was a cemetery." Kiibo spoke up. "They just noticed the lack of activity."  
"Gonta would go down hole if Gonta could fit." Gonta said sadly.   
"WHY DO YOU TWO WANT TO GO DOWN THERE?!" Tenko yelled.   
"Because it cool." Gonta said.   
"Think about it." Kiyo said softly. "Do they have souls? Could they be walking among us right now? It certainly feels different here."  
"Shut up, shut up, shut up." Miu said, shaking her head.   
"Have we disturbed any of the graves? I wonder what they would think if we did..."  
"GOD DAMMIT SHUT UP!" Miu yelled.   
Kaito heard Kiyo make a strange rasping noise. It seemed to be laughter. In this strange landscape Kiyo appeared to be more comfortable than he had ever been on the ship. Kaito had a feeling he was actually teasing Miu.   
"Hey! Gonta think you could fit down this one!" Gonta said. He had found an even larger hole. It was ringed with strange white items.   
"That isn't a grave. Oh!" Kiyo seemed to shiver with excitement. "This is fascinating."   
"What is?" Rantaro asked.   
"This is a monument. An idol. They have gods. And they must fear this one."  
"What's on the ground?" Kaito asked.   
"Pieces of exoskeleton." Gonta said, the scientific words rolling off his tongue easily. "Bug body parts."  
"So they eat their dead, and rip off body parts to make offerings?!" Tenko yelled.   
"Blood sacrifices are always preferable." Kiyo mused.   
"TO WHO?"   
"These parts hurt." Gonta said. "To take off. This wing fragment. This part of carapace."  
"Ok, bringing those two was a great idea." Rantaro said, elbowing Kaito.   
Kaito grinned. "What did I tell you? They both seem so happy. Which is weird, considering where we are...but it's nice."  
Rantaro nodded. "You're a good leader. Not everyone would appreciate their team's individual interests like this."  
"Well, I like everyone here." Kaito shrugged. "And I envy their braincells."  
Rantaro laughed. "So Gonta's got brains and brawn huh?"  
"Guess so." Kaito shook his head. "Jeez, Kiyo looks like a completely different person."  
"I kinda like him." Rantaro said. "We talked a bit earlier. If we get outta here in one piece, he's gonna come with me on my next trip."   
"I don't know whether to laugh or be afraid." Kaito said. "I think he was teasing Miu, but who knows." And then he looked up. "WOAH HEY!"  
It seemed that Kaito couldn't take his eyes off the crew for a minute. Gonta was carefully lowering a blank faced Ryoma into a grave.   
"HEY! PUT THAT CRIMINAL DOWN! DOWN AS IN NOT IN THE GRAVE!" Kaito yelled.   
"He agreed." Gonta said.   
"What the hell, huh? Might as well be the first man to walk through an alien grave." Ryoma shrugged.   
"Oh come on-" Kiyo threw an arm out in front of Kaito, preventing him from moving forward. "Ouch!" Kaito said in surprise. Kiyo was stronger than he looked.   
Maki stood off to the side, looking interested. "This has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed.   
"Ok, I'm on the ground." Ryoma called up. "I think it's about twelve feet down?"  
"Do you see any corpses?" Kiyo asked.   
"No thank go-well. Kinda? I see the shell thingies."   
"Exoskeleton!" Gonta said cheerfully.  
"They're all cracked. It's like when you eat lobster and you pull the shell off."  
"It seems you were correct Gonta. They must eat the flesh and bury the rest." Kiyo said.   
"EW!" Tenko yelled.   
"Woah." Ryoma said suddenly. "Guys, there's writing down here."  
"What does it say?" Kaito asked.   
"I can't read alien."  
"Oh, right." Kaito smacked his forehead. "Uh, can you get a picture?"   
"Yeah. Angie, you see this?" Ryoma asked.   
"It is a story." Angie said. "The cute little symbols write out a story."  
"They have folklore!" Kiyo said. "This keeps getting better."  
"How is this better?" Tenko moaned.   
"Oh shit." Ryoma said quietly. "Guys, I got some company down here."  
"Ghost?" Gonta asked.   
"Nope. He looks pretty solid."  
And then they heard the screech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that's all I got for now! I hope you guys enjoyed!! Sorry again for taking so long. I'm on break now so the next update will be sooner hopefully. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	13. Ink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I'm actually updating at a decent pace. Will this continue? Who even knows XD
> 
> Anyways, it's chapter time. I hope you guys enjoy!!!

"Ryoma!" Kaito yelled, sprinting over to the hole. "Dammit guys! This is why we don't send people down into alien graves!"  
There was the sound of a struggle coming from the grave. "Someone help me pull him up!" Kaito demanded. "Gonta, Tenko, come on!"   
Together, the trio yanked on the rope, which refused to budge. "I think something has him!" Shuichi yelled.   
"Light, I need light!" Kaito yelled. To his surprise, Kiibo rushed over, flooding the hole with light. Kaito realized it was coming from his eyes. "Yeah, that works!"   
"I'll protect you Miu! Maki!" Tenko said, jumping in front of Maki and Miu.   
A string of curses emanated from the hole. "He's still alive!" Kaito yelled. "Dammit, dammit!"   
"Move, move!" Rantaro demanded. "I'm gonna go in."  
"ARE YOU CRAZY!"   
"The entrance isn't even big enough!"   
There was a massive crunch, and the ground around the hole crumbled. Kaito saw Gonta standing over it. He had smashed his fists into the ground, hulk style, widening the hole. "Did Gonta make hole big enough?"  
Rantaro wasted no time jumping down into the hole, Maki on his heels. "Kiibo, we still need light, let's go." Kaito said, following suit. "Tenko, watch the others!"   
"Allow me to accompany you." Kiyo said calmly, sliding into the hole.   
"This is not the time for you to get off in some alien grave!" Miu yelled.   
"We don't have time for this! Come on!" Kaito yelled, running. And then he realized what it was he was doing. "Wait, fuck, this is a tunnel! Something dragged him off!"  
"Excellent observation." Kiyo said. "Shall we proceed?"  
"This is a bad idea." Kiibo said slowly.   
"Yeah, but it's the best we got."

They saw the blood a few yards later. It was splashed against the ground, an ominous marker. Kaito felt sick. "Oh god, is that Ryoma's blood?"  
"No, it's alien." Kiibo said. "But it's fresh. There's still a mild heat signature."  
"Kiyo I thought you said aliens didn't come here!" Kaito yelled.   
"The highest species doesn't. I didn't take lower species into consideration."   
"Up there!" Kiibo yelled. Kaito's insides froze as he saw someone standing over a figure on the ground. As he got closer he saw that it was Maki and Rantaro. His second in command was crumpled on the ground, chest heaving. To Kaito's horror, he saw Rantaro's helmet on the ground, discarded.   
"Fuck fuck fuck!" Kaito yelled. "What happened!"  
"It doubled back and jumped us." Maki said, looking sick with worry. "I saw it coming, but I didn't warn Rantaro. Shit, I'm not used to not working alone, shit-"  
"Why is his helmet off! That is not safe!" Kiibo yelled frantically.   
"It grabbed him, tore the helmet off. I thought it was going to eat him, but it only sprayed him down with some kind of goo-"  
There was a harsh retching sound, and Kaito turned to see Rantaro cough up a mouthful of a thick inky substance. "Oh god, it got in my mouth..."  
"Hey, hey." Kaito said, kneeling down beside him. "Does it hurt anywhere? Do you feel dizzy?"  
"I think the atmosphere's ok." Rantaro said. "I woulda' suffocated by now if it wasn't." He coughed again, expelling more of the substance. "It was like an octopus, like using ink to get away." he pushed himself into a sitting position.   
"Nuh-uh, you stay down." Kaito said. "We don't know if you're gonna drop dead or something."  
"I'm fine for now, and I think Ryoma's in a little more trouble than me." Rantaro said, getting to his feet. "You and Kiibo came after us? Pretty brave boss."  
"Me, him and Kiyo-" Kaito realized the anthropologist was nowhere in sight. "Oh for fuck's sake! I need to get leashes for you all!"   
Rantaro started coughing again, and Kaito rubbed his back, feeling like he was having some kind of out of body experience. Was this what he looked like during an episode?   
"I'm good, I'm good." Rantaro said, pushing Kaito off him. "C'mon, now we got two people to save."   
"Guys, the tunnel gets more narrow." Maki reported. She must have dashed off to check things out ahead. "And I found this." Another helmet.   
"God dammit Kiyo!" Kaito exclaimed.   
"It was probably the only way he could fit." Maki said. "And if we're going to follow..."  
"Let me go alone. You all don't gotta risk yourselves." Rantaro said, getting to his feet slowly.   
"Hell no. We go together." Kaito said. Before he could give it any more thought, he yanked his helmet off. "We're in this together."  
Maki promptly took off her helmet, dropping it to the ground next to Rantaro's. "Ready when you are."  
"Ok. Kiibo, keep it up with the light." Kaito said. "Rantaro, you good?"  
"Always." Rantaro said.   
"Alright, here we go."

The tunnel started sloping downward, something that concerned Kaito greatly. He didn't feel good going deeper into the ground.   
"More blood." Kiibo reported. "Alien again. Even more fresh. We're catching up."  
Kaito readied his stun-gun. "Everyone get ready."   
The ground flattened out at a large round opening. It looked like some kind of lair, something Kaito found to be extremely ironic.   
"Guess we're going in." Rantaro said.   
"On my mark." Kaito said grimly. "Three...two...one!" He quickly fired off three shots into the cavern. To his delight, he heard a thump of a body. He rushed forward, only to be whacked in the stomach. "OOF!"  
"Oh thank god. It's you guys." Ryoma lowered the racquet shaped rock he was holding. "Welcome."   
"Ryoma!" Kaito exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "You're alive!"  
"Not if you keep hugging me."  
"Sorry." Kaito said, pulling away. "What happened? How did you escape? Where's the creature?!"  
"Right there." Ryoma said, pointing to the long thin figure. It seemed to be levitating. Kaito readied his gun. Ryoma didn't seem worried in the slightest. "Relax, it's already dead."  
That left Kaito confused. "Wait, huh? Did I hit it?"  
"No, you hit him." Ryoma said, jerking his thumb in the direction of a collapsed figure. Kiyo.   
"Shit!" Kaito ran over to him. "My bad man, you good?" Thankfully the weapon had still been set to stun.   
Kiyo groaned, rolling over. "I'm absolutely perfect, thank you for asking."   
"How did you kill it?" Maki asked in awe.   
"He killed it. I just distracted it." Ryoma said, nodding at Kiyo.   
Kaito slowly made his way over to the creature. He realized it wasn't floating. It was suspended by several ropes. He leaned closer to see they weren't ropes. They were wires taken from a field kit.   
"Damn, look at that thing." Rantaro said softly.   
The creature was more reptilian than the main insect-like aliens they'd seen. It had a slender, jagged body with a thick rope-like tail. It's claws were as long as Kaito's arm, and if he had to guess, the thing maxed out at a total of seven feet long.   
It's head was the most terrifying. It had a total of three mouth parts that jutted out. They reminded Kaito of lamprey eels. Each was ringed with sharp teeth. The side two appendages were leaking a combination of blood and the black liquid.   
"There aren't any previous records of it." Kiibo said. "What do you think it is?"  
"A predatory creature. Like a wolf back on earth, but way smarter and stronger." Ryoma said. "This thing is definitely more of an animal. I think it was scavenging for food or something. I was just too appetizing to pass up."   
A wire was looped around the creature's long neck, tied over a rock formation that was used as a pulley system, most likely to hoist the creature up. "What the hell? You guys hung it?"   
"I was hoping to capture it maybe." Kiyo said, standing up shakily. "However it seemed intent on devouring Ryoma. So I broke it's neck." he said it casually.   
"You strangled it too?" Maki said, looking at marks on the creature's neck. "Where did you learn to do that?"  
Kaito looked over at Kiyo nervously. "What are you, some kind of serial killer?"  
"Of course not." Kiyo said. "I was able to sneak up on it. I assume it thought it had ended the two of you. I was able to trap it, then kill it while Ryoma distracted it."  
"Either way, good work guys." Rantaro said. "Ew, I don't think I can ever look at ink the same way again."   
"Yeah, it tried to force feed me some." Ryoma said, shuddering. "You don't think it's toxic, do you?"  
Shit, Kaito hadn't thought of that. "Shit who's touched it?"   
"Me obviously." Rantaro said, clearly maintaining a calm composure.   
"Me too." Maki said. "I landed in some when I was trying to dodge it."   
Kiyo merely raised his hands towards Kaito, which were smeared in the same inky black.   
"Ok." Kaito said. "Ok, you all feeling ok?"  
"I don't think it's toxic." Kiibo said. He stuck a finger in a small pile of discarded goo. "I'm analyzing it now."   
"Let's start moving up. There might be more of them." Kaito said.  
"Should we bring the cadaver?" Kiyo asked.   
"If you want to drag it up, be my guest." Kaito said, feeling slightly disturbed.   
"Actually, it might be a good idea to do that." Kiibo said. "It's an unknown species, and studying it may help us if we encounter any others of its kind."  
And that was how Kaito ended up carrying a dead alien through an underground graveyard. 

"Oh thank god, you're ok!" Tenko exclaimed, offering a hand to Maki.   
"Don't touch." Maki said, yanking her head back. "We might be covered in toxin."  
"Gonta so sorry!" Gonta exclaimed. "Gonta did not think Ryoma would be taken by alien!"  
"It's all good. It was an adventure." Ryoma shrugged. "So Kiibo, we dying or what?"  
"No. Not toxic." Kiibo said. "It looks familiar, I've seen something like it before, but I can't think of what. That memory must be locked..."  
Maki allowed Tenko to pull her up after this, who walked over to Miu without helping any of the males. Gonta took over, lifting everyone out of the hole one by one, setting them gently on the ground.   
"Hold on, where the hell are your helmets!?" Miu yelled.   
"I think it's ok. We're breathing it just fine." Kaito said. He felt exhausted.   
"Ew, it's even uglier in the light." Ryoma commented as Gonta lifted the body of the creature out of the hole.   
"Oooh, what the hell is that!" Kokichi's voice could be heard.   
"EW!" yelled Tenko.   
"It seems to be an alien body! How fun!"   
"Yeah, Ryoma and Kiyo killed it." Kaito said.   
"All I did was bash it with some rocks." Ryoma shrugged.   
"Oh, a little blinky thing!" Angie said. "How even more fun!"  
"That's a comm line." Kirumi said patiently. She pressed the button. Kaito couldn't hear what was being said on the other line.   
"They want you to return to the ship now." Kirumi said, her voice hardening. "They said it is urgent."   
"What? Why? We just got here-"  
"Please Kaito, just do it." 

"Woahhhh." Kokichi said. He was taking in the dead alien in all of it's glory. "That's one hell of a souvenir!"   
Both Himiko and Blinky were huddled in a corner, looking terrified. "I don't like that. It seems like a pain. A deadly one."  
There was a squelching sound, and a yelp. Kokichi stumbled back, ink coating his face. "OH MY GOD! THAT'S DISGUSTING!"   
"What did you do?!" Kaito yelled.   
"I poked it with a scalpel" Kokichi spluttered, stumbling into a wall. Kaito grabbed him before he could topple over.   
"Jesus." He sighed. "Hey!" he yelled, as Kokichi wiped his eyes with Kaito's sleeves.   
"Kaito, if you do not mind, the superiors would like a word with you." Kirumi said, clasping her hands.   
Kaito nodded. "I'll be right there." he turned to Kokichi. "Don't touch anything. Don't do anything, you know, just stand here and don't move. Got it?"  
"Got it." Kokichi sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'll just dissect that bad boy with my mind powers then."  
"Kirumi, supervise him please." Kaito said, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
Kokichi grinned. "I take it that's a no on the mind powers."

"Hello?" Kaito asked. He was back in the same hallway as before. "Anyone there?"  
"Hello Mr. Momota." The woman's toneless voice said.   
"Hey. Why'd you call us back?! I thought the world was at stake!"   
"There was an unexpected development." the woman said slowly. Well this couldn't possibly be good.   
"What is it?" Kaito asked, steeling himself.   
"The sample analysis sent back by Kiibo was...concerning." the woman said. "It would be best if you all remained here under observation."   
"Observation?! Observation for what?!" Kaito demanded. Of course, that was the moment when the comms system clicked off. Perfect. Kaito punched the wall, regretting it as it neither eased his anger, or occurred painlessly. Blowing on his knuckles, Kaito walked out of the hallway, looking for something to do.   
"Hey Maki Roll." he said, seeing the girl in question lounging in the sitting area.   
"...What did you just call me?"  
"Uhhh...nothing?" Kaito asked. "You mind if I sit here?"  
"You're the captain."  
"Great! Thanks." Kaito said. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "So apparently we're under observation."   
"For what?" Maki asked, eyes glittering with concern.   
"They wouldn't say, but it's over the sample Kiibo sent back, I guess. They probably automatically got the reading or something."  
"So the stuff we got on us. Great." Maki said, crossing her arms.   
"Yeah." Kaito said. "Jesus, do you think it really is poisonous?"   
"I don't know." Maki said. "I guess all we can really do is wait and see."  
"Dammit." Kaito sighed, slumping in his seat. To his surprise, Maki patted his shoulder.   
"I know. I don't want to sit around either, but what else can we do?"  
"I don't know!" Kaito sighed. "You're right, you're right." He remembered Maki was still on the suspect list for the traitor. That seemed so long ago. It felt like such a small issue compared to the present.   
"Is there anything I can do? For you?" Maki asked. Kaito realized that she was refusing to make eye contact, and there was a slight coloring in her cheeks. Was she...blushing? Kaito wasn't sure, but either way, it was pretty cute.   
"Did you shower off? I guess we might as well get as clean as we can." Kaito said. "I don't know honestly. I guess I'm just gonna go check on everyone." He sighed again. "Why did they let us take the alien corpse back if it's dangerous?"  
"I don't know." Maki said. She suddenly sat up, looking at Kaito. Kaito felt heat rising into his own cheeks. Were they having a moment.  
"You ok?" He asked slowly.   
"Kokichi. He's dissecting it right now."   
Kaito felt another spark of annoyance at Kokichi. He wasn't even here, and he was messing with Kaito. "Crap, you're right."   
"I'll stop him." Maki said, getting to her feet. "...If you want."  
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Kaito said. "Go easy on him. But not too easy." He could have sworn that Maki gave him a small smile before she left. That was the craziest thing to happen all day. 

"There you are." Kaito said, grabbing Rantaro by the arm and dragging him into an empty hallway.   
"Everything good?" Rantaro asked, seemingly un-phased by Kaito pulling him aside.   
"How's Ryoma doing? How's everyone doing?"  
"As far as I've seen, pretty good. Ryoma's acting like he got back from a trip to the grocery store."  
"Yeah, I guess if anyone's going to be fine with that, it would be him." Kaito said shrugging.   
Rantaro laughed. "Yeah guess so."  
"I think they're spying on us through Kiibo." Kaito said suddenly, before he could stop himself. It was a theory he had been thinking about for a while now, but he had yet to say it until now.   
"Yeah?" Rantaro asked. "I think that's a possibility."  
"What? Really?" Kaito asked. "I thought I was being paranoid."  
"My friend, we're in space fighting aliens. You've earned the right to be paranoid." Rantaro said.  
"Yeah." Kaito sighed, crossing his arms. "The worst part is Kiibo's so pure. Like why can't humans be that nice?"  
"I feel like there's a metaphor about humanity in there somewhere." Rantaro teased.   
"Yeah, you'll have to get Kiyo for that." Kaito said, grinning. "Speaking of, should we be concerned he went all hangman on an alien?"  
"I stand by what I said earlier." Rantaro said. "I trust him. I wouldn't call him normal, but I think he's a good guy. He didn't have to go down there with us. And he didn't have to go after Ryoma. He could have gone off and had a grand old time exploring the grave system, but he went straight for Ryoma, no questions asked."  
"True." Kaito said. "I hate this, having to question every one."  
Rantaro nodded. "Does it make me, I don't know...racist if I suspect Kiibo and trust him less because he's a robot?"  
"That...is actually a complicated question." Kaito said, eyes widening.   
"Hey hold on now, let me explain." Rantaro said, holding his hands out. "I'm saying that because he could be, I dunno, tapped into or something? Jesus, I feel like a scumbag."  
"You're not." Kaito said. "I almost feel bad for him, you know?"  
"Whatcha mean?"  
"Like what if he doesn't know he's being puppeted." Kaito said.   
"Well we haven't confirmed he's a puppet." Rantaro reminded. "And Jesus, now you're making me look bad."  
"Huh?!"  
"Already worrying about how you're gonna help a potential spy. You're a special individual Kaito." Rantaro said, nodding.   
"Well I wanna believe in everyone." Kaito said. "We gotta rely on each other. It's the only thing I can put any hope into." He crossed his arms and leaned back, waiting for a response from Rantaro. He didn't get one.   
"Did I stun you with my goodness?" Kaito asked jokingly. When he turned to Rantaro, he saw the adventurer had turned away from him. Kaito felt a spike of worry. "Hey, you ok?"  
Rantaro suddenly snapped forward, sneezing into his elbow. "Sorry." he said, turning back. "What was that about goodness?"  
"Damn, bless you." Kaito said. "I'm getting jumpy."  
"Aww, were you worried about me." Rantaro said, poking Kaito on the shoulder. "I'm flattered."   
"Yeah, yeah." Kaito said, shaking his head. "Come on, let's do something useful already."  
"Ready when you are, chief." 

"Holy-" Kaito stared at what used to be the alien corpse. Kirumi and Kokichi had completely dismembered it, removing organs, professionally opening the cavity.   
"Hey!" Kokichi said brightly. He presented Kaito with a large slimey something. "Be my valentine?"  
"Ew!" Kaito said, jumping back. "What is that?"  
"Its heart. One of four." Kokichi said, grinning. "Pretty nasty huh?"  
"Understatement." Kaito said. "I didn't know you could dissect stuff."  
"I paid attention in bio class." Kokichi shrugged. "Besides, I just did what Kirumi told me to do." Kokichi tossed the heart back on the table where it landed with a soft splat. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure? You need something? Or did you just miss me?"  
Kaito rolled his eyes. "Could you and Kirumi start looking at the goo stuff? Figure out what it's made of? What's in it?"   
"Yeah, Kirumi just brought some to Gonta. He said he'd take a look at it. I guess he's used to looking at bug venom. How much different can alien lizard venom be?"   
"Yeah. They're almost exactly the same." Kaito said drily.   
"But hey. I really missed you. I'm glad you're back in one piece." Kokichi said, suddenly serious. To Kaito's surprise, he leaned into Kaito, hugging him tightly.   
"Woah! I'm glad to see you too." Kaito said, patting Kokichi awkwardly on the back before hugging back.   
"Well, I gotta go. Places to go, things to see." Kokichi said, hopping back. "See ya Space boy. Don't touch my lizard organs. I just organized them."   
"That was surprisingly sweet." Kaito said, watching in awe as Kokichi left.  
"Hey, you might wanna look at your shirt." Rantaro said, sounding amused. Kaito looked down to see a smiley face drawn in what looked to be alien guts.   
"EW!" Kaito yelled. "THAT LITTLE SHIT!"   
"Maybe he really was just happy to see you." Rantaro laughed.   
"Gross!" Kaito said, wiping at his shirt. "Oh god, ew."  
"Hey, I got that crap in my mouth. You're fine." Rantaro said, rolling his eyes. "Go change if you're that freaked out."  
"Ha ha." Kaito said sarcastically. "I'm not freaked out, just grossed out. He eyed the alien organs. "Think I could sneak one of those into his bed?"  
Rantaro snorted. "Playing by his rules now, are we?"  
"You said we. Grab that brain looking thing." Kaito said. "I'm dragging you down with me!"   
"What the heck are you guys doing?" Maki asked. She was standing in the door now.   
"Oh, hey." Kaito said. "Nothing suspicious."  
Maki sighed. "You have anything else for me to do? I never got the chance to beat up Kokichi. Kirumi had this place under control."  
Kaito sighed. "And he deserves it so much."  
"Take it easy you two." Rantaro laughed. "There's enough deadly things up here already."  
"That is a sadly true statement." Kaito sighed. "Who wants to walk around and attempt to be productive with me while we wait for something to happen?"

Maki and Rantaro proved to be solid company. Kaito felt a lot of his anxiety settle as he focused on talking to them. Additionally, everyone else seemed to be perfectly fine.   
"Are you sure you didn't call me Maki roll earlier?" Maki demanded.  
"I think you're remembering wrong." Kaito said quickly. "I would never give someone a purposely adorable nickname. That doesn't sound like me at all."  
Maki rolled her eyes. "Sure. That's believable."   
"It is! I-Woah!" Kaito stumbled as Rantaro knocked into him. Kaito realized he was recovering from another sneezing fit. This was the third time since they'd left the alien body."  
"Sorry." Rantaro said breathlessly.   
"You're good." Kaito said slowly. "You ok?"  
"Yeah, fine. Why?" Rantaro asked. Kaito looked over at Maki, who shrugged. "Wait, are you guys both worried about me?"  
"Yeah!" Kaito said. Maki nodded in agreement.   
"Well don't. I'm perfectly fine ok." Rantaro said sternly, crossing his arms. "Don't worry about me."  
"Like I could stop if I tried." Kaito said, crossing his own arms. "I'm the captain. It's my job to worry about everything." Crap. That didn't sound very inspirational.   
"Well you can take one of those things off the list. I'm-ah...ACHOO!" Rantaro doubled over again. Kaito found himself unconsciously reaching out to steady him. "Ok, yeah, that was bad timing." Rantaro sighed. "But really, I'm fine."  
"Is there a way to test that theory?" Kaito asked, smiling weakly. He was undeniably worried now.   
"Guys, relax. I'm probably just allergic to space or something." Rantaro said.   
"Hello friends. What are we doing here?" Kokichi said, walking up behind them. He eyed Kaito holding onto Rantaro and grinned. "Oops, am I interrupting something?"   
"No!" Kaito yelled, letting go of Rantaro and swatting at Kokichi. "What are you doing here anyways?"  
"Woah, hey! Yikes!" Kokichi said, dodging Kaito and hiding behind Maki. "Jeez you guys, control your boyfriend!"   
That earned him a death glare from Maki. Kokichi rightfully shuddered.   
"Brr, ok, that's cold. Juuuust wanted to let you know that Gonta finished looking all the samples over. I'll let you guys get back to it though. I'll tell the others you're...busy."  
"Do that and die!" Kaito yelled, making another grab for Kokichi. The shorter boy laughed and dodged again.   
"Ooh, you're doing such a good job convincing me that nothing spicy is going on here!" Kokichi said. "Why don't you smile a little more." he nodded at Kaito's shirt.   
That was it. Kaito ran at him. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"   
"Woah!" Kokichi took off running with Kaito hot on his heels.   
Maki turned to Rantaro. "I guess we should go check out what Gonta found, then?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kokichi yelled, as Kaito lunged for him again. "Chill the fuck out! What did I do?!"  
"Everything!" Kaito yelled.   
"I didn't send you up here! I didn't create aliens. I didn't-ack!"   
Kaito had finally succeeded in tackling Kokichi, and was now shaking him by the shoulders. "Alright you little bastard!"  
"Kaito! Easy!" Kaito turned to see Rantaro walking up behind him.   
"Yeah! For real!" Kokichi protested. Kaito let go, wondering what the hell had come over him.   
"Well this was fun." Kokichi said, brushing himself off. "But I gotta finish something up. Something special. And Space boy, if you can chill the fuck out, you can come by and play a game with me later. But only if you're chill."  
Kaito didn't say anything. He felt ashamed honestly. Was the stress unhinging him?"  
"Hey." Rantaro said. "You wanna take a break? Try to unwind?"  
"I can't." Kaito sighed. "I can't relax, I can't do anything."  
"Sure you can." Rantaro said soothingly. "Trust me, you're doing fine."  
"I just want to handle this right." Kaito said. "Things just keep getting crazier and crazier."  
"Understatement, but you're right. The best thing you can do is look out for yourself, ok?" Rantaro said.   
"Yeah, you're right. Again. I hate how right you are." Kaito said.  
"I'll try not to be offended. Now come on, you can't tell me you don't wanna see what Gonta figured out."  
"You're right again." Kaito said. "Yeah, let's go. I'll deal with Kokichi later. When I'm chill."  
"Atta boy." Rantaro said. "See, you're handeling this fi-...ACHOO!"   
"Bless you again. Space allergies are brutal huh." Kaito said jokingly.   
"Uhh, hey Kaito?"  
"Mm?"  
"I don't wanna stress you out more, but, uh..."  
"What's wrong?" Kaito said, turning to face Rantaro. His eyes widened. The same inky black substance was now leaking form his friend's nose.   
"I don't think this is normal." Rantaro said slowly.   
As far as Kaito was concerned, it wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand cliffhanger!!! I'm really getting into writing this story, and I hope you guys are enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying writing. Anyways, that's all I got for now, and hopefully I'll be back soon. Thank you so much again for reading, and I hope that everyone seeing this has a wonderful day!!


	14. Infection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! My school semester is wrapping up and I've been a little busy. But! Here I am with a new chapter. I'm sorry it took a bit, and I hope you all enjoy!!

"Ok, ok." Kaito said. He could feel his heart rate rising. "Stay calm."  
"I am calm. You're the one freaking out." Rantaro said slowly. He seemed to be in shock.   
"Ok, good point. Uh, ok, we can handle this." Kaito looked around worriedly. "Yeah, it's all gonna be ok, don't worry."  
"I'm not." Rantaro said. "Hey, take a breath. I feel normal. That thing got me pretty good, could just be residue from that, ya know?"  
"Yeah, maybe." Kaito said slowly. He didn't really believe it. "Ok, um, let's go somewhere else, and um, do something."  
"Kaito." Rantaro said. "Calm down. Even if something is wrong, panicking isn't gonna do anything for us."  
"Could you just worry about yourself for a change?!" Kaito snapped, before he could stop himself.   
Rantaro fixed him with a curious look. "What do you mean by that?"  
"You're always looking after everyone else! You never worry about yourself!" Kaito exclaimed. "Never mind, we can talk about that later. Right now we have to do...something."  
"Ok. I'll follow your lead."   
Kaito had no idea what to do, or even where to begin. That didn't matter though. External forces had their own plans. A siren began blaring and the hallways became bathed in a flashing red light.   
"Oh come on!" Kaito yelled. Could the universe slow down for a minute and let him figure out one problem at a time?"  
"Well, I'm guessing that's not good." Rantaro said.   
"Probably not." Kaito said. He started walking towards the cockpit. "You stay here!"  
"Not a chance." Rantaro said, easily keeping pace with him. "What am I supposed to do, stand here and wait?"  
"No! I don't know! I'm trying to keep you out of danger!"  
"Hate to break it to you, but I don't think we're gonna be out of danger any time soon." Rantaro said, as they rounded the corner into the cockpit, where most of the crew had already assembled.   
"Make it stop!" Miu yelled, hands pressed over her ears. "Jesus just make it stop!"   
"No one's tried to figure out what triggered it?" Kaito asked.   
"Like any of us have any idea how this works." Kokichi said.   
"Ok, fair." Kaito made his way to the panel, pressing buttons quickly. "Uh oh."  
"What?" Rantaro asked, leaning over.   
"Uh, good news, I know how to turn off the siren." Kaito said. "Bad news is we've been seen, and there's an assault ship coming for us."  
"Well shit." Rantaro said, summing up Kaito's thoughts.   
"Ok." Kaito said, settling into the pilot's seat. "Rantaro, gather everyone up, make sure everyone's accounted for. Miu, weapons."  
"Hey, what if I wanna do weapons?" Kokichi asked.  
"I wouldn't trust you with that if we were the last two people on earth. And we'd probably be the last two people because of something you did with the weapons."  
"Spoilsport." Kokichi sighed.   
"What do you want me to do once I've found everyone?" Rantaro asked.   
"Tell them to hold on." Kaito warmed the engines. "Things are gonna get a little wild. 

The assault ship was visible through the cockpit window only a few moments later. It was thin and sharp, and almost resembled a pencil with wings. Kaito would have laughed if said pencil with wings wasn't firing at them.   
Kaito jerked the controls, sending his own ship into a tight turn, gaining speed as it went. "Miu! I need some return fire!"  
"On it!" she called back, sending a return volley at the assault ship.   
Kaito increased the speed as quickly as he could without overworking the engines. "We gotta take out that ship and find a new place to hide without attracting too much attention.  
"Easier said than done!" Miu yelled back.   
"I know, I know." Kaito said. "Dammit, they're more agile than we are."  
"So we're more fucked than a discount pocket pussy?"  
"Yeah...I mean no...what?" Kaito said, turning to look at Miu who shrugged. "No, we still have a chance. I need someone to man the rear weapons."  
"Well I'm here, and you're here, so who's gonna do that?" Miu asked.   
"Maki." Kaito said suddenly. "Those controls are more like handheld weapons, and she's a beast with those.   
"Great, wonderful. I'd go get her, but I'm a little busy!" Miu snapped, firing at the assault ship.   
Kaito fumbled with a side panel, pressing the comm button. "THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!"  
"Technically this is our captain yelling." Kokichi replied from a different comm outlet. "Need something?"  
"Yes! Can you find Maki and tell her to get on the rear weapons?"  
"Why?" Kokichi asked innocently.   
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Kaito yelled. "WE'RE MORE FUCKED THEN A DISCOUNT POCKET PUSSY IF SHE DOESN'T!"  
"You want me to use those exact words? Or-"  
"JUST DO IT!"   
To Kaito's great relief, Maki's voice echoed over the comms a few moments later. "Hey, I'm here."  
"Thank god. Ok, you know what you're doing?"  
"No, I have no idea." Maki said. "But I think I can figure it out."  
"Well figure out quick." Kaito said, veering into another tight turn. "I think we've isolated him away from any other ships, so we gotta take him out now then disappear."   
"Ok." was all Maki said. Kaito hoped she was getting ready.   
"Miu, try and drive it into Maki's line of fire. I'm gonna flip the ship around."  
"Ok." Miu said. "We're all totally gonna die."  
"Maki, you're up. Turning...now!" Kaito said, yanking on the controls. He heard several crashes from the depths of the ship. He was guessing not everyone had held onto something. Kaito gritted his teeth. He couldn't see the ship now, it was behind him. It was up to Maki now. "Maki, are you ready?"  
"As ready as I can be."  
"Ok." Kaito said. He had forced the ship to follow them behind a series of smaller rock chunks, hidden from the view of the hive. "I'd give you a countdown but-FIRE NOW! FIRE NOW!"   
Almost as if by magic, a single shot fired from the back weapons, striking the ship dead on, destroying it. Kaito cheered.   
"Did I get it?" Maki asked. "I don't know if I actually fired it-"  
"THAT WAS PERFECT!" Kaito yelled. "You got it! You definitely got it! We're home free, Maki Roll!"  
"Maki roll?" Miu asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"Uhh...I'm gonna find us a new spot to hunker down." Kaito said, knowing Maki wouldn't forget about that. "Everyone ok?"  
"I'll check." Maki said.   
"Cool beans. Now let's see." Kaito scanned the terrain, before spotting a cavelike outcropping in one of the rock chunks. It was perfectly hidden and secure. "Ok, got a spot. I'm going in." Kaito didn't relax until he felt the ship touch down. He powered down the engines and heaved a sigh of relief.   
"Nice flying captain." Miu said, standing up and stretching.   
"Thanks." Kaito said, pushing himself out of his seat. All he really wanted to do was collapse into it, but he had to check on his team. 

The majority of the crew had been gathered in the lounge area. Himiko was clinging to a couch, looking terrified. "Everyone ok?" Kaito asked.   
"For now." Shuichi said. "How about you guys?"   
"We're ok for now." Kaito said, doing a quick headcount. Three missing. "Where's Kokichi? And Maki? And Rantaro?"  
"Rantaro went to look for Kokichi." Kirumi said. "I have not seen Maki since she departed for the back weapons."  
"Ok." Kaito said. "Shuichi, you're up bro! I need my super awesome sidekick to see where Maki went. Can you do that?"  
"Uh, yeah. Sure." Shuichi said, looking as flustered as always after being given any form of attention.   
"Good man!" Kaito said. "I'm going to go find everyone's least favorite hacker, and Rantaro. Everyone else stay put ok? Kaede, you're in charge again." With that, Kaito trekked off in search of his missing crew mates. 

"About time." Kokichi said, when Kaito finally entered his room. "I've been waiting for you."  
"You could have come and gotten me." Kaito said, slightly annoyed.   
"Where's the fun in that!?" Kokichi said brightly. "C'mere, I gotta show you this."  
Kokichi had his datapad set up on a desk like a laptop. Kaito knelt down to get a closer look. "What the hell is this?"  
"I started digging around in their systems. It's a link to something, a direct communication line. I don't know where it goes to, but it sure as hell comes from the earth bastards." Kokichi said.  
"Is that how they're talking to the spy?" Kaito asked.   
"I think so." Kokichi said. "But hey, don't worry! I've been working on this!"   
"Uh...numbers?" Kaito asked, squinting at the screen.   
"No! It's a program. Every time that line is used, it'll tell me, and I'll tell you." Kokichi wheeled around in his chair to face Kaito. "Tadaaa" he sang, giving Kaito jazz hands.   
"Ok, that's pretty good." Kaito said. "Really good. It almost makes me forget how annoying you are."  
"Aw, you love me." Kokichi laughed.   
"The jury's still out on that one." Kaito said. "You're sarcastic, whiny, mean-" Kaito's foot knocked into a wastebasket. "And messy. Jesus! Ever heard of cleaning?"  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes. "Get outta here. I'm done with you for now."  
"Thaaaanks." Kaito said, shoving him playfully. "I'm gonna find Rantaro. If anything happens, tell me."   
"Ok. By the way, if you made the mess bigger, you clean it up." Kokichi said, turning back to his datapad.   
"No way. There's probably all kinds of gross crap in there." Kaito said, squinting. It mainly appeared to be tissues. Suddenly Kaito's stomach went cold. Tissues covered in ink. 

Kaito nearly slammed into a wall as he rounded a corner as fast as he could. It could be a coincidence, maybe Kokichi had just broken a pen or something, but he was more hell bent on finding Rantaro than before.   
Suddenly Kaito really did slam into something, sending him toppling back.   
"Ow!" Shuichi yelped, falling back as well.   
"Shit, my bad." Kaito said. "You good?"  
"No running in the halls." Maki said, stepping into view.   
"Oh hey, you found Maki! Good job!" Kaito said, before turning to Maki. "Where the hell were you?"  
"I got lost. It's a big ship."  
It was the kind of answer that Kokichi would jump on as proof of a spy. Kaito however, decided to brush it off. "Yeah, someone should make a map." he laughed. "You guys didn't happen to see Rantaro, did you?"  
"No. You still didn't find him?" Shuichi asked, looking worried.   
"No, but with three of us looking, we have a better chance. Come on." Kaito said, getting to his feet. "If you guys didn't see him, that rules out the back of the ship, and I came from the front left."  
"But if he was looking for me, why didn't we see him?" Maki asked.   
"I don't know." There were too many questions Kaito couldn't answer. "I don't know, let's just try our best to find him."  
Two minutes later, Kaito got his wish. The adventurer was sprawled out in a hallway, back to Kaito.   
"Shit!" Kaito sprinted over, kneeling down beside Rantaro. "Shit, shit!"   
"Are there any wounds?" Maki asked, kneeling down beside him. "Entrance wounds, exit wounds?"  
"What the-you think he was shot?!" Kaito asked, panic increasing. "I don't think I see any!"   
"Wha' goin on." Rantaro mumbled, stirring slightly.   
"He wasn't shot." Kaito exhaled. "I think."  
"Hey, hey." Shuichi said, gently, kneeling by Rantaro's head. "Can you hear us?"  
Rantaro groaned, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them. "Yeah, loud and clear."  
"What happened? Were you attacked?" Maki asked.   
"Why would he be attacked?!" Kaito yelled. "Why was your first instinct to ask about bullet wounds?!" Maki looked away quickly.   
"Bullet wounds? Nah." Rantaro said, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Jesus, I don't actually know what happened. "I was just..." he shook his head, as if to clear it. "I was going to the server room to try and mask our signal, just in case. And I turned the corner and...well next thing I know I'm waking up to you guys."  
"Ok." Kaito said. "So you could have been attacked?"  
"I wasn't attacked-" Rantaro's voice broke before he sneezed harshly into his hands.   
"Woah." Shuichi said. "A-are you ok?"  
"Getting a little harder to make it look like I am." Rantaro said. "Oh god, I feel disgusting." his hands were coated in the strange ink.   
"Do you feel any pain?" Maki asked.   
"Not really." Rantaro said. "A little achy but that could be from face planting onto a metal floor."  
"Shuichi, can you run back and grab Kirumi?" Kaito asked. "I'm scared to move him."  
"Hey, I'm fine!"   
"Shush." Kaito said, patting Rantaro's head. "On the double, sidekick!"   
"Is that...the same stuff that creature had?" Maki asked.   
"I think so." Kaito said. "Hey! Absolutely not! I'll sit on your legs or something!" Kaito yelled as Rantaro tried to stand.   
"What kinda threat is that?"  
"Oh, so you want me to? Ok, Maki, you go for the chest-"  
Rantaro burst out laughing. "I'm so damn lucky to have met you all. Seriously."  
"Hey! No laughing either!" Kaito said.   
"Are you sure you aren't the ultimate doctor?" Maki asked. Kaito nudged her. 

Thankfully, Shuichi returned with Kirumi quickly.   
"Hey there." Kaito said. "Do you know medical stuff?"  
"Yes, if you want me to act as a doctor, I can fulfill that request." Kirumi said, kneeling beside Rantaro, examining him.   
"Hey, not to be picky or anything, but I'd really appreciate a tissue or something." Rantaro said, laying back. He sighed, and Kaito winced at how strained his breathing suddenly sounded.   
"Can I do anything?" Kaito asked, turning to Kirumi.   
"I don't believe so." she mused. "Actually, could you fetch the lab work I started earlier?"  
"On it!" Kaito said, dashing off towards the lab. In his rush he nearly bowled over Kokichi.   
"Jesus! Easy on the hit and run!" Kokichi snapped.   
"Woah, my bad." Kaito said, surprised at the angry response. "You good?"  
"Who even knows. I'm gonna lay down." Kokichi grumbled.   
"What's wrong?" Kaito asked.   
"I don't know." Kokichi whined. "And I don't feel like talking."   
Well, that was a first. Kaito looked at him, squinting his eyes.   
"What are you doing?" Kokichi asked, snapping his fingers in front of Kaito's face. "You're somehow being weirder than normal."  
"Are you feeling sick?" Kaito asked slowly, anxiety mounting in his chest.   
"No, I'm tired, so shut up and leave me alone." Kokichi said, looking irritated. "Go annoy someone else. I wanna sleep." Kaito decided to let him go. He had lab work to pick up. 

Upon snatching up the vials, Kaito prepared to dash back to Kirumi, when he decided to check on the others. Just to be safe, just in case.   
Everyone was mainly where he had left them, much to Kaito's great relief. Gonta proudly showed off Blinky wrapped in a new blanket. Kaito gave him a thumbs up before continuing on.   
"Here." he said, giving the vials to Kirumi. She accepted them without a word. Kaito turned back to Rantaro and gritted his teeth.   
Rantaro's eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling shallowly. In the minutes since Kaito had last seen him he had gotten paler and he generally appeared sicker.   
"What's wrong with him?" Kaito asked. Shuichi returned his worried look and shrugged.   
"I've never seen anything like this." Kirumi said. "He's developed a fever within a span of minutes."  
"So he's sick?" Kaito asked.   
Kirumi nodded. "It appears to be a virus of some kind. However I'm not entirely sure. I'd need to investigate more, but for now, I'd like to move Rantaro to somewhere more comfortable."  
"Ok." Kaito said. "So, how are we doing this? I get the legs and you get the arms?"  
"I'm fine...." Rantaro mumbled, eyes opening slightly. They were glassy and unfocused. "Seriously, m'fine..."  
"You can't even argue that now." Kaito said. "Screw it, I got him." Carefully Kaito scooped Rantaro into his arms. "Where to?"

Faster than what Kaito thought was possible, Kirumi prepped an unoccupied room, transforming it into a sickbay of some kind. She was quickly stepping around them, working nonstop.  
Kaito stood awkwardly near the exit. He felt helpless. He just wanted to do something, anything to help.   
"Kaito." Kirumi said suddenly. "If this is a virus, we have to consider the possibility that it's contagious. Can you recall anyone else displaying symptoms?"  
"Shit." Kaito said, preparing to run out the door.   
"Wait, wash your hands first. And wear this." Kirumi said, handing him a face mask. "Please take the proper precautions."  
Kaito practically broke the world for hand washing before ducking out the door and running to Kokichi's room. Upon arriving at his destination, Kaito pounded on the metal door. "KOKICHI! OPEN UP!"   
"Go away" Kaito heard Kokichi snap. Kaito turned his attention to the keypad and started typing in random numbers. "Stop! You're gonna jam it!" he heard Kokichi protest. Thankfully, the door slid open, revealing Kokichi.   
"Oh no." Kaito said out loud. Kokichi was several shades paler than normal, his eyes glassy. In his hand was a crumpled up tissue, stained with black ink.   
"Where's the fucking emergency?" Kokichi said woozily, before pitching forward, unconscious. Kaito rushed him back to the sickbay as fast as he could.   
"We got a problem!" he yelled.   
"I was afraid of that." Kirumi said. "Check everyone else for symptoms. This makes four."  
"Four?" Kaito asked. He nearly dropped Kokichi in surprise. Next to Rantaro, Maki and Shuichi were laying down on makeshift cots. "Holy shit!"   
"It's fast acting. If I had to guess, we all contracted it around the same time." Kirumi said. "That, or upon coming in contact with those who were on the ground."  
"Then we probably all have it, don't we." Kaito said.   
"Potentially, however it is best to check. See if anyone else is showing symptoms." Kirumi said. "I'm working to see if we can combat the symptoms."  
"Ok." Kaito said, yanking the mask down into a better position. As he ran through the ship, he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been feeling sick. His immune system had been shot to hell for years, and he should have been the first to go down. Hopefully he could hold on just long enough to help everyone else...  
He came upon the group in the comms room first, all of which looked worse for wear. Himiko was slumped over, breathing heavily. Angie was just laying flat across the floor, and Kaito saw Kiyo carefully press a tissue under his mask, then withdraw it, stained with ink.  
"I believe we have a rather pressing issue." his tone was as calm as always, but Kaito could see the panic in his eyes.   
"Yeah." Kaito said slowly. "Can you walk? We need to get you and everyone else to the sickbay."   
Before anything could be accomplished, Kiibo burst in, Miu slung over his shoulder. "Something's wrong! She just keeled over! Ryoma too, but I couldn't carry them both-"  
Kaito's blood ran cold. Shit, shit, how many were sick. No, he had to calm down. He had to help everyone. He was going to help everyone. That's what a good captain would do.  
However, as he started moving everyone, he couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late. By this point it had become clear that they were dealing with a shipwide pandemic. 

At the final count, Kirumi, Kaito, Tsmugi and Kiibo were the only ones not showing symptoms, the latter for obvious reasons.   
Kirumi was moving at a million miles an hour, simultaneously caring for everyone and studying the virus as best she could.   
"As far as I can see now, it doesn't appear to be deadly." Kirumi said. "At least not with the proper care. The majority of the symptoms are flu-like. Coughing, sneezing, fevers, chills, aches, dizziness. However the ink is concerning. It appears to be...but it's not entirely possible..."  
"What is it?" Kaito asked.   
"Well, it appears to be blood, but not exactly." Kirumi said. "In its rawest form, the virus would cause patients to expel blood violently, however it's mixed with some sort of antibody in the dna of our crewmates. The best way I can explain it is that it is the virus itself."  
"So as their bodies fight it, it just...leaks out?" Tsmugi asked.   
"That's disgusting, I'm actually glad to not be human right now." Kiibo said. To Kaito's surprise, he appeared to be nauseous.   
Kaito however, stayed quiet. He felt rooted in place with shock and horror. "I'll be right back." he said slowly, before exiting the sickbay, the sounds of coughing and sniffling fading with every step. 

"Pick up! Pick up dammit!" Kaito said, waving his arms in the hallway again. He knew they could see him. So where were they?  
Finally the woman's voice reached his ears once again. "Hello Mr. Momota."  
"It's the plague." Kaito said hoarsely. "They all have the plague."  
"That appears to be the case." the woman said. "This has shed a light on the very virus itself. It seems to originate from that creature who's body you brought back. It must infect the intelligent species, who thus infected humans. All along we've been killed off by what seems to be their common cold."  
"I thought Ultimates were immune." Kaito said, voice still horse.   
"They are." the woman said. "Their immune systems must have been overwhelmed by the virus in its purest form. However, I doubt any of them will die from it. You, Ms. Tojo and Ms. Shirogane are quite lucky. Your immune systems must be stronger than most.   
No, Kaito had already figured out why he hadn't gotten sick. He was already infected. He had been for a long time now.   
"It's just like the deadly version." Kaito said. "The body tries to expel the virus, but instead of killing it by expelling blood, they're actually clearing it out of their systems."  
"Correct. You did not strike me as the biologically minded type." the woman said. "Do you need anything else?"  
"Did you know?" Kaito asked. "That we were going to get sick."  
"We had suspicions, but no real way of knowing."  
"The you could have warned us!" Kaito snapped.   
"We did not know about the existence of the carrier species." The woman continued. "Plus your crewmates are potentially creating a powerful vaccine ingredient in their bodies as we speak. This could be a good thing."  
"When are you gonna stop treating us like expendable lab rats." Kaito spat.   
"When our work is done." that was the last she said before the comms clicked off. Kaito debated punching a wall again, but thought better of it. He needed his hands. If he couldn't do anything else, he was going to at least try and make his crewmates as comfortable as possible.

"How's that for ultimate doctor?" Kaito said, handing Maki a cup of tea.   
She nodded gratefully. "Not too bad." She coughed harshly, and Kaito reached out to steady her. It was like watching himself. The symptoms were nowhere near as painful or as deadly as his own, but he knew that everyone was still in some extreme discomfort.   
Overall, most of his classmates weren't too much of a challenge to care for. With the exception of Kokichi and Miu, most were content to just lay still and rest.   
"How are you guys doing?" Kaito asked. Angie, Himiko, Tenko, Kiyo and Gonta were placed in one section of the sickbay, as all of them were relatively low maintenance.   
"This is a pain." Himiko muttered, coughing softly.   
"It won't stop!" Tenko said frantically, swiping at her nose.  
"Let it happen, it's a good thing." Kaito said, handing her a box of tissues. "Can I get you guys anything."  
"By the will of Atua, I am certain we will be cured soon." Angie said, voice raspy. "But water would be nice." several others murmured in agreement.   
"Got it. Anything else? Kiyo? Gonta?"  
"Gonta just cold." Gonta said, looking miserable. Kiyo mumbled something incoherent and pulled a pillow over his head.   
"Ok." Kaito said, rubbing Himiko's back as she coughed. "I'll be back in a bit."  
"This is so scary." Kiibo said softly as Kaito carefully filled cups with water. "I had no idea humans could get so sick."  
"Yeah." Kaito said grimly. "Everyone's holding stable right? No one's in any real danger?"  
"No, they are feeling generally terrible, as the consensus states, but no one is in danger." Kirumi said.   
"Shuichi's talking about eyes looking at him." Tsmugi reported. "It's a little scary really..."  
"I'll sit with him." Kaito said. "Can someone drop these off over there?" he held out the tray of water. Kiibo nodded and took it.   
"I do not have the tools or information to create a cure persay, but as their bodies are fighting the virus, the best we can do is wait." Kirumi said. "Afterwards perhaps, we may have something valuable."  
Kaito nodded, so the woman had been right on that front, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He walked over to where Shuichi was laying at sat down beside him. "How you holdin' up sidekick?"  
"Stop looking at me...I didn't know...I'm sorry...It was just the truth..." Shuichi said softly. Kaito guessed he was delirious.   
"Hey, shhh , it's ok." Kaito said soothingly.   
"...Truth comes at a price..." Shuichi managed.   
That much was true. Kaito knew that all too well. The truth about the virus was coming out, and his crew was paying the price as others watched. One day he hoped he'd be able to make them pay too. They were going to have a hefty price to answer for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! That's all I got for now, and I hope you all liked it! I'm seriously loving all of your comments so much, so if you wanna leave more than go for it! It makes my day XD
> 
> Anyways, sorry again for the lateness, and thank you so much for reading. It means the world to me. I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day, and is having a lovely holiday season!!


	15. Dice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Thanks so much for the awesome comments, I adore reading them and I'm so so happy you're enjoying the story!!! Sorry for the delay, I have one more week of school before the end of the semester, so bear with me, updates might be slow until then.
> 
> Anyways, here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy!!!

Kaito crossed his arms proudly, examining his handiwork. Having literally nothing else to do, Kaito had been driven to polishing every inch of the dashboard in the cockpit. "Damn, look at that, that's a nice cockpit right there." he said, nodding.   
Of course, there was no one there to hear him.   
Kaito sighed, looking around for something else to occupy his time. Kirumi was convinced that everyone would recover with time, stating that she had everything under control. That left Kaito, Kiibo and Tsmugi to their own devices. With two thirds of his crew down, Kaito didn't have too much to do. And that was driving him batshit crazy.   
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" Kaito asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Kirumi had just shaken her head, leaving Kaito to awkwardly go somewhere else.   
Kaito couldn't aggressively punch something in the gym, the strain might cause an episode and Kirumi didn't need anyone else to worry about. Additionally, Kaito couldn't take his anger out on the crew back on Earth. He knew he didn't have the communications skills to argue anything without making it a lot worse.   
He was useless.   
Honestly, the dashboard didn't need polishing. Nothing really needed cleaning, even after all the time spent on board. Kaito guessed he had Kirumi to thank for that too. Clean was good. But damn, he felt so useless!  
He'd even tried following Kiibo around, attempting to be helpful. The robot apparently did a lot more than Kaito had previously thought he did. Kiibo was in charge of recording, processing and transferring amounts of data that totaled at a number that Kaito couldn't even count to. Kiibo had politely tried to explain how it all worked to Kaito, but Kaito hadn't understood at all. He wasn't a man of science after all, he was a man of action! But there was a large lack of action to be had. Eventually, Kaito had left Kiibo alone, as he appeared to be making him uncomfortable by just standing there and watching.   
Tsumugi had resorted to making an entire cosplay line for Blinky. Kaito wasn't even sure how making a clothing line for a newly discovered alien was possible, but that was Ultimate talent for you. The last time he'd seen Blinky, the creature was decked out in a Naruto headband, being chased by Tsumugi holding the rest of the outfit. Kaito had decided to stay out of that.   
So that had left him here, alone in the cockpit, where he'd wasted two hours "cleaning." Great, amazing, he was obviously an amazing captain. 

"Jesus, you look even sadder than usual." Kaito turned to see Kokichi leaning against the doorframe.   
"You try sitting around while your friends are-" Kaito did a double take. "Wait, what the hell are you doing up?!"  
Kokichi laughed, which turned into harsh coughs, leaving him doubled over. After recovering, he looked back up at Kaito. "I got bored."  
"I swear to god if you die in here after I just cleaned!" Kaito said, throwing his hands up.   
"Chillax, I'm fine." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes. He was paler than usual, eyes glassy and unfocused. Kaito could see that he was gripping the doorframe, and trembling slightly.   
"Sure." Kaito said. "How'd you even escape?"  
"Escape? You're acting like I was in jail." Kokichi said. "Dramatic much? Anyways, Kirumi can't keep an eye on everyone, right?"  
"Alright, we're going back." Kaito said, grabbing Kokichi by the sleeve and dragging him back towards the sick bay.   
"Hey, hey! I don't wanna lay around any more!" Kokichi protested. "I've had enough fever dreams for a lifetime!"   
"If you didn't look like a walking corpse, I might let you go." Kaito said, continuing walking forward.   
"Woah, wait, really?! You gotta bring me to a mirror then. I wanna see!"   
Kaito sighed. "Alright you little bastard, do you have a reason for being up and about or not?"  
"Jeez, you couldn't have gotten reasonable before dragging me down a highway?" Kokichi said. "First of all, like I said, I'm bored. Secondly, I got things I need to do!"   
"Like?"  
"I don't know if you forgot between the aliens and the virus, but I still wanna put an end to the spy thing." Kokichi said, batting his eyelashes. "It sure would help me sleep a lot better."  
Kaito sighed. "I'm gonna hate you forever for dragging me into this."  
"What? Why?" Kokichi asked, seeming confused for a moment. "Oh, you're totally one of those emotional types that gets driven insane by this stuff. Stressed out 'cause you can't trust your bestest friends?"  
"Shut up." Kaito said. He would have shoved Kokichi, but the so-called supreme leader seemed a little too fragile for that at the moment.   
"Why? I'm right, aren't I?" Kokichi said, crossing his arms. "Anyways, I obviously can't do too much right now, but I wanna check my traps."  
Kaito briefly envisioned Kokichi laying bear traps around the ship. "Check your what now?"  
"Traps." Kokichi said. "T-r-a-p-s. Definition, the thing that stuff gets trapped in."  
"I know what a trap is." Kaito snapped. "What the hell did you even set up?"  
"We-ell." Kokichi said, grinning. "I made it so I can see who accesses the main data flow."  
"In small words?"  
"What? Those were small words!" Kokichi protested. "Just help me get to my room. I'll show you there."

Upon reaching Kokichi's room, Kaito listened as Kokichi explained what he'd done exactly, using the most condescending tone Kaito had ever heard. Essentially, Kokichi had set some kind of programming up to tell him when someone accessed the piles of data and information the ship was carrying.   
"You color coded it?" Kaito asked, glancing at Kokichi's data pad.   
"Yeah, I like color coding." Kokichi said. Kaito reached for the datapad, making Kokichi slap his hand away. "Fuck with my color coding and I kill you."  
"Ok, ok, jesus." Kaito said, rubbing his hand. "So what exactly am I looking at?"  
"That blue dot there is Kiibo." Kokichi said. "He messes with the data all the freaking time."  
"He's supposed to do that. He told me so." Kaito said.   
"And you believe him?" Kokichi asked. "Just like that? Stupid."  
"Not everything's a lie, you know." Kaito said defensively.   
"That's what the liars want you to believe." Kokichi said innocently. "Not that I'd know. I'm not a liar."   
"What?! You literally told me you were at some point!"  
"Did I? Hm, don't remember that."  
Kaito sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Talking to Kokichi was the best way to develop a headache. "Ok, ok, fine. Moving on..."  
"So yeah, Kiibo." Kokichi said. He tapped a pink dot. "Miu."   
"Miu?" Kaito asked. "I mean, that makes sense. She's an inventor. She might do stuff in there."  
"Guilty until proven innocent." Kokichi shrugged.   
"Don't you mean innocent until proven guilty?" Kaito asked.   
"Nope!" Kokichi said. He tapped a darker green dot. "Kiyo."  
"What was he doing there?" Kaito asked, squinting at the dot. "I didn't think he was good with tech."  
"He's really not." Kokichi said. "So he might have been there for Angie or something. Or Himiko. A pawn, y'know?"  
"Himiko?" Kaito asked. "I really don't get why she's on the list."   
"I already told you! Guilty until proven innocent! But don't worry, I'll get that fixed soon."  
Kaito felt weary. "What are you going to do?"  
"We-ell, I'm gonna expose everyone's secrets." Kokichi said. "If we all hear them together, we can make moves based off of that."  
"That...might be a shitty idea." Kaito said slowly.   
"Hm? Why?" Kokichi asked. "I think it's the best move we've got. We already know Ryoma's, and it wasn't too bad."  
"You don't think they have anything on you, don't you." Kaito said. "This is a good idea to you because you won't be affected!"   
"Oh please, I know they don't have anything on me." Kokichi said sweetly.   
"Because you're living a lie?"  
"Because I'm living like, twenty." Kokichi said. "That's how the world works, you gotta hold your cards close to your chest. You didn't do that, and now you're oh so vulnerable."  
Kaito gritted his teeth. "It gets harder to trust you every time we talk."  
"Then talk less, listen more." Kokichi said. "I know, it's totally sad how I'm probably the only person you can completely trust here."  
"Prove it." Kaito said suddenly.   
"Huh?" Kokichi sounded genuinely surprised.   
"Prove it." Kaito said again.   
"Why? You were fine before."  
"Every day my trust gets broken again and again." Kaito said, crossing his arms. "Sorry, but I need to know before I waste any more of it. I can't keep doing this." Kaito knew that this current pain in his chest was purely emotional. He wanted to believe in everyone, in everything, but he kept getting hurt.   
Kokichi sighed. "Well, can't have you breaking down on me, can I? What do you want to know?" He turned around to face Kaito.   
"Wait, for real?"  
"This is a limited offer Space Boy, it'll expire soon." Kokichi shrugged. "Take it or leave it. Ask away, and for now, I'll answer."  
Kaito's mind cycled through the dozens of questions he had. Crap, how was he going to choose? He might as well start at the beginning, right? "Who are you?!"   
"What do you mean?"  
"Who are you." Kaito said. "Where are you from? How did you get here? I don't know anything about too many of you. I want to start learning."  
"Oh." Kokichi said, looking surprised. "That's...kinda personal. I wasn't expecting that. Out of all the things that I might know, you wanna start with ice breakers?"  
"Yes." Kaito said seriously. "I do."  
Kokichi seemed even more surprised that he wasn't able to laugh the question off. His eyes shifted towards the floor, before looking back up at Kaito. "Ok, buckle your seatbelt then. Where do you want me to start?"  
"Just give me a picture of who Kokichi Ouma is." Kaito said. "Please."  
The plea seemed to wear Kokichi down. He sighed again before speaking. "So you wanna know who I am? Fine. We starting with childhood?"  
"Can you tell me about your family?" Kaito asked.   
Kokichi laughed bitterly. "Technically no. I never had one. Parents were killed or taken. I don't know exactly what happened, except they're both dead. Didn't have any other family. I got tossed into the system where they dumped all the kids who's families ended up dead. I grew up in that hell hole."  
Kaito had heard the rumors of the Relocation System. It was a government project launched to deal with the explosion of children without families. Kaito remembered the fear he had of ending up there after the loss of his own parents. Thankfully his grandparents had claimed him.   
"It...wasn't a nice place, but I did learn. You gotta come out on top no matter what, and if you can't win with brawn, win with brains." Kokichi said, his eyes on the floor. "So I did."  
"I'm sorry." Kaito said, unsure of what else to say.   
"Don't be!" Kokichi looked up at him, smiling brightly. "It was a game, and I won! Had everyone eating out of the palm of my hand. I learned all sorts of tricks there, including computer skills, which landed me with the government."  
"Huh?"  
"When kids in the System get old enough, or demonstrate some kind of skill, they're snapped up for government jobs. They tracked me as an Ultimate when I was ten. Sadly they pinned the wrong talent on me." Kokichi snickered.   
"So you used to work for the people who sent us up here." Kaito said.   
"Not the exact people, but yeah, they were associated with Towa City." Kokichi said. "I learned my way around things, learned where secrets were and how to get them, and once day I decided to do something."  
Kaito nodded slowly. He was seeing Kokichi differently now. Maybe it was because he was currently sick, but now he looked so small to Kaito. Defenseless, vulnerable, different without his bravado.   
"I stole any info I could get my hands on before blowing up the work site. No one died." He added quickly. "I don't believe in killing, but it looked like I died. They believed it, and I managed to disappear."  
"You were that desperate?"   
"Um, do you know how much money I could make with the info I had?" Kokichi laughed. "It was a price worth dying for! Get it? Because I faked my death? Whatever, you clearly don't get humor.   
Kaito couldn't help but notice that the laughter didn't quite reach his eyes. Now he felt pangs of sympathy creeping up on him.   
"I started selling the info, breaking back in and stealing more." Kokichi said. "I developed a following, others who grew up in the system. We started fighting back, destroying work sites, stealing information and weapons, generally being a thorn in the government's side."   
"Holy shit. You really are a supreme leader." Kaito said, eyes widening.   
"I told you numbskulls I was." Kokichi sighed dramatically. "Ever heard of Dice, Space boy?"  
Kaito felt a cold feeling in his stomach yet again. "You're in charge of Dice?!"  
"The one and only!" Kokichi said proudly. "So you have heard of it! Yay!"   
According to Kaito's prior knowledge, Dice was a rebel group responsible for strikes against the allied governments. He'd viewed it as people making a mess of things. His grandfather had called Dice "cyber terrorists" from time to time, but now...Kaito felt his views changing. He'd seen what went on in the government now, and maybe Dice had a point.  
"Woah, I've shocked you into silence." Kokichi snickered, before sneezing into cupped hands. "Ow, that kinda stung."  
"You should go lay down some more." Kaito said.   
"But we barely did anything-"  
"You're sick, you'll be able to work better when you're feeling better. You can't tell me you don't feel like shit."  
"Bet I could, I'm a liar after all. But yeah, you're right." Kokichi said, sniffling. "I might have rushed things."  
"Do they know?" Kaito asked quietly. "The ground crew. Do they know who you're with?"  
"Hard to say. I told them I was the leader of Dice the first time they saw me. I doubt they believed me." Kokichi laughed. "I'm sure they suspect that I'm affiliated with Dice, but supreme leader, nahhh. You didn't even believe that!"   
"Yeah." Kaito said, shaking his head in awe. "Damn."  
"See? There's loads of huge things we don't know about the people here. Exposing the secrets is the right thing to do." Kokichi said.   
"Was that yours?" Kaito asked.   
"My what?"  
"Your secret."  
"What do you think?" Kokichi asked, looking up at him.   
"I think you could tell me anything and I'd never know if it was the truth or not." Kaito admitted.   
Kokichi laughed again. "Good. That's the way I want it." his laughter turned to coughing once again.   
"You gonna be ok?" Kaito asked, looking concerned.   
"Probably. Dying from a cold after all the shit we've seen would be hella lame." Kokichi said. "I'm gonna die a waaaaaaay cooler death. My fake one was pretty good too!"   
"You're actually insane." Kaito said. As soon as he'd said it, Kokichi leaned back against Kaito, and actually snuggled against him. "Woah, the fuck-"  
"I'm freaking cold." Kokichi mumbled. "I used up whatever adrenaline I was running on to get here."  
Kaito pressed a hand against Kokichi's forehead. "Yeah, I think your fever spiked or something."  
"Oh that's fantastic." Kokichi said sarcastically. "Guess I did it to myself though. Yeah, I'll willingly go back to bed now. He glanced at the exit and then back at Kaito. "Little help?"  
Kaito shook his head, scooping Kokichi up similarly to what he did with Rantaro. "Sure, whatever the leader says."  
"That's the respect I wanna hear!" Kokichi said. "Sorry you gotta find some other company though."  
"No, you need rest." Kaito countered. "I'll entertain myself."  
"I downloaded about sixty different dumb games on my datapad. Knock yourself out." Kokichi said faintly.   
"Are you acting like I'm your friend?" Kaito asked in surprised.   
"Woah there, I wouldn't go that far, but sure. We can be friends. For now." Kokichi said. "Can't promise I won't throw you under the bus given the chance. Occupational hazard of being around me."  
"I guess I'll take that chance." Kaito said. "Thanks though."  
"For?"  
"Talking to me. Truth or not."  
"You don't care if I lied?" Kokichi asked.   
"Well, I do." Kaito said. "But at least you were willing to give me something. That's better than I can hope for up here."  
"Jesus, you're gonna need some serious therapy when we get back to earth." Kokichi mumbled.   
"I think we all will." Kaito laughed. A skittering noise sounded from down the hallway, and Kaito stepped away just in time to avoid Blinky, decked out in full Naruto apparel.   
"Am I tripping? Or did I just see alien Naruto?" Kokichi said, craning his neck to see.   
"Nope, that's real." Kaito said, equally surprised.   
Kokichi laughed. "I sure as hell don't regret coming up here."  
That reminded Kaito, he'd never gotten a chance to ask Kokichi how he'd ended up on the mission. However, Kokichi seemed to be fading fast and Kaito didn't want to force him to use up any more energy than he had to.   
"You're alright Space boy!" Kokichi exclaimed. Kaito assumed he'd fully elapsed back into a delirious state as Kokichi reached up and patted Kaito's face.   
"Hey! Watch the beard!" Kaito protested.   
"Oh my god, that's not a fucking beard. That's a weak goatee-"  
"I will drop you!" Kaito yelled. Kokichi gripped onto him.  
"Please don't."  
"Fine, but you're on thin ice buddy." Kaito said, only half threatening. "And I guess you're alright too."  
"I'm more than alright. I'm a supreeeeeme leader." Kokichi said, relaxing in Kaito's arms. "The most evilest bestest leader. I'm gonna destroy the world."  
"I'm sure you are." Kaito said, shaking his head. "I'm sure you are."

Kirumi hadn't been surprised to see Kokichi. She only sighed, before directing Kaito back through the sickbay.   
"How come he got a field trip?" Miu mumbled, seeing Kaito approach with Kokichi.   
"Because he's a dumbass."  
"A supreme dumbass!" Kokichi added groggily.   
"Oh, that makes sense." Miu sighed, rolling over.   
"You shush and go to sleep." Kaito said, eyeing Kokichi. He could have sworn the supreme leader rolled his eyes at him, before closing them. Maybe not as delirious as Kaito had thought. "You need anything Miu?" he asked, before getting up.   
"You really wanna know?" She muttered.   
"I mean, no, not really." Kaito said, having a feeling where this was going. "But like, if it's a normal and like, pg request, I can help."  
Miu sighed. "Pussy." Kaito took that as his cue to leave, checking on Kokichi one more time, before walking away. Maybe he'd go play those dumb games...  
"Wait..."  
Kaito turned back to Miu, who was sitting up. Her face was flushed with fever, her eyes bright. "You good?"  
Miu beckoned for Kaito to come closer. Once making sure that his pants were tightly zipped, he leaned forward.   
"How much do you know?" Miu asked faintly.   
"What?" Kaito asked.   
"What do you know!" Miu rasped. Kaito wondered if she was delirious as well.   
"Wait, I don't get it. What do I know about what?" Kaito asked.   
"About the hyperlink." Miu said, clutching at Kaito's arm desperately.   
"The hyper-what?" Kaito asked, looking for Kirumi. He was getting concerned now.   
"The hyperlink!" Miu hissed. "I made a mistake..."  
"What do you mean?" Kaito asked. Miu's head lolled back as she began to succumb to the fever that held her in its clutches.   
"...all my fault..." she said breathily.   
"What's all your fault? What's a hyperlink?!" Kaito exclaimed desperately. "Come on, gimme something!"  
"Don't tell anyone..." was all Miu said, before going limp.   
"OH MY GOD I THINK SHE JUST DIED!" Kaito yelled out loud.   
"No, she simply fell asleep again." Kirumi said from behind him. He hadn't heard her approach, and her voice made him jump, and unfortunately release a very un-manly scream.  
"EEK! I, uh, so she's ok?" Kaito said sheepishly, trying to regain his composure.   
"Yes." Kirumi said, looking at him curiously. "Did she say something to you? Was it something of concern? If it was, I suggest you share it with me."  
Kaito almost told her without thinking, but stopped himself in the nick of time. Dammit, Kokichi was really in his head now. Innocent until proven guilty...or guilty until proven innocent? Miu had said not to tell anyone right? Was this important? Or was she just sick? Kaito slowly took a breath in before making his choice and answering.   
"Nah, I mean the most concerning thing was where her hands were going. I don't envy the gutter her mind lives in." Kaito laughed. He did feel a little bad for presenting Miu as a pervert, even though he felt like she sort of was. It was the first thing that came to mind, and Kaito was running on pure panic.   
Kirumi regarded him for a moment, before nodding. "Very well. I'll keep an eye on her. Are you still feeling alright? No symptoms?"  
"Nope." Kaito said. He was surprised by the answer honestly. He'd only felt his regular symptoms. Nothing had worsened. It was becoming more and more likely that his theory on already being infected was true.   
Kirumi nodded again. "Very well. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." That was a polite way of saying, "get out so I can work," and Kaito respected her wishes. He walked out of the sick bay, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do next.

He'd wandered the ship for about fifteen minutes before finally caving. There hadn't been a sign of anyone, not even Blinky, and Kaito was feeling the effects of isolation. Yeah, it had only been fifteen minutes, but he was a people person!   
Kaito finally found himself walking into Kokichi's room and approaching his datapad. Dumb or not, games were a distraction, and Kaito needed one. He was positive that there was nothing he could do to help, and just sitting around and waiting wasn't working for him. Gaming it was.   
To his surprise and glee, Kokichi had left the datapad unlocked. His offer for the games must have been genuine.   
Kokichi was right, the majority of the games were dumb. Kaito found himself playing endless rounds of some kind of flappy bird based game. He was ass at it, but he was beginning to wonder if anyone was capable of winning.   
"Dammit!" Kaito yelled out loud, as his bird flew into the same spike it had flown into the last round. When was he going to learn!  
Out of frustration, Kaito mashed the buttons on the pad, accidentally exiting out of the game. Kaito sighed. He probably needed that reality check. It was just a game after all.   
Kaito began to scroll through the pad, looking for the game. However, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He hadn't noticed the red "one message" notification before.   
Tapping on it, Kaito was brought up to a message Kokichi had written to himself. According to the time, he'd written it while he and Kaito were there, looking at the dots. Kaito made a mental note to pay more attention to what Kokichi was doing at all times.   
The note was short, only reading: Kay, so I'm starting to feel like shit again, so this is gonna be up to you. Get them to reveal the secrets. Trigger it, force it, I don't care. Just get it done."  
Kaito gritted his teeth. If Kokichi were here, he would have laughed at the fact that Kaito's moral compass was holding him back. The curiosity over his crewmates' secrets was killing him, yes, but he also didn't want to invade their privacy! He wasn't that kind of guy! He wasn't a snoop!   
But maybe getting those secrets out was the best way to protect the crew. If Kaito knew that hidden information, a whole new set of options could open up to him. He had meant what he said about wanting to learn more about his crewmates. He didn't exactly want it to be like this...but what other choice did he have?   
Kaito sighed, sending a mental apology to his crewmates. Hopefully the fever would soften the blow if it came soon. Before leaving Kokichi's room, Kaito typed a message back, under the one Kokichi had written.   
"Ok, I'll do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it!! That's all I got for now. I hope you guys enjoyed, and thank you so so much for reading. More comments are always appreciated, but you don't have to ofc XDD
> 
> Hopefully I'll be back soon, I'll try my best!! Thank you so so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!!


	16. Secrecy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of genoc!de, inc*st and esc*pism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the super late update, the holidays got me incredibly busy!! Anyways, here's the newest chapter! Enjoy!!

Kaito's heart was pounding in his chest. He was seriously about to do this. Sure, going on a space expedition was scary, but exposing his friends' deepest secrets was downright terrifying. Were they his friends? Kaito wasn't exactly sure. Well, they wouldn't be his friends after this. He felt a pain in his chest that wasn't due to his condition. Even if the others didn't view him as their friend, Kaito viewed them as his. That made what he was about to do even more heinous.  
Kaito returned to the same hallway as his previous conversations. He felt like there was an easier way to contact them, but the routine was somewhat comforting, strangely enough. Here he was in space, taking comfort in the repeated action of yelling at the government back on earth through a hallway. Life was strange.  
Kaito blamed nerves for what happened next. His palms were sweating, and his mind was spiraling. Choosing the perfect way to piss off the superiors was a thousand times harder with the additional fear. He'd settled on yelling either, "Wanna fight?!" or "Fuck off!" but what came out was neither of those things.  
"WANNA FUCK?!" Kaito blurted, before slapping a hand over his mouth. He groaned, well that was certainly threatening. He'd never been the best under stress.  
He heard a crackle of static from the comms, but nothing else. Presumably whoever was currently on the other end had no idea how to react to that either.  
"Uh, my bad." Kaito said sheepishly. Wait, no he wasn't going to apologize! He was trying to piss them off. "I mean, no! I'm not sorry!" If Kokichi was here, he would have been in hysterics.  
"Do you need something, Mr. Momota?" The woman's voice was a surprisingly welcome sound. Now Kaito was getting somewhere.  
"Yeah! Fuck you!" Kaito yelled, reaching for his previous anger, hoping that it could overwhelm the fear. "Bitch!"  
"Excuse me?" To Kaito's surprise, his petty insults seemed to have genuinely struck a nerve.  
"Yeah, useless whore!" If his grandmother was there, she would have shoved a bar of soap in his mouth. She was a fan of the old ways.  
"Mr. Momota, I suggest you think clearly about what you are doing." The woman said coldly.  
Thinking clearly was out of the window at this point, and Kaito's anger was flowing freely now. Even if this would hurt his friends at first, he was trying to save them. He had to believe in that. "I'm done! No more listening to your bullshit orders! I'm taking over this mission and doing it my way!" As soon as he'd said the words, Kaito wondered what it would be like if he really did commandeer the mission.  
"Have you forgotten the information we hold in our hands?"  
No, Kaito had most certainly not forgotten. He was getting closer, he had to be aware of not going too far now. He just wanted the secrets released, nothing else.  
"Do it, I fucking dare you!" he snapped, crossing his arms. "I don't believe you have anything. You're bullshitting."  
"Last. Chance." The woman's tone was colder than it had ever been before. Now it was downright frigid.  
Kaito took a deep breath. No going back now. "You can shove your so called secrets up my ass!" Shit, that didn't come out right. Kaito quickly backpedaled. "I mean up your ass! Shove it up your ass!"  
There was a moment of silence. Kaito waited, heart beating painfully in his chest. Crap, was he going to have an episode now? No, he had to hold on just a little longer...  
Finally, the woman spoke again. "If you believe I am still bluffing as you said, check your datapad. Then we'll see who's bullshitting." The comm clicked off, but Kaito was no longer standing in the hallway. He was rushing for the nearest bathroom. 

Kaito had barely closed the door before he doubled over, forcefully expelling blood, painting it across the bathroom floor. He didn't have time to reach the sink before several other waves of retching overtook him. He sank to his knees, hacking and choking, barely keeping himself upright. His chest burned worse than it ever had before. With a final effort, Kaito retched once more, expelling blood that was an even deeper red than before.  
Shit, he was getting worse. There was no denying it. He had been able to lie to himself before, that the episodes weren't actually worse, that was just his body adjusting to space. But this, blood this color meant he was close to, or had already entered the last stage of the illness. It was bound to happen eventually, he had been battling this his whole life. In a way he was lucky. Others lasted months, even weeks, and he had lasted years. But he had never really thought about reaching this point. Everything became so much more real.  
Was he going to die?  
Kaito slowly stood, glancing at himself in the mirror. Jeez, he looked like he'd been to war and back. Blood trickled from his nose freely. He was vaguely reminded of Rantaro, when he'd first gotten sick. Kaito felt himself feel slightly satisfied. At least his friends didn't have to suffer like this. At least they could do what he never would, fully recover.  
Cleaning up took longer than what Kaito would have liked. His body still felt weak and heavy, and he stumbled and nearly fell several more times. At long last he had erased any evidence from the bathroom and himself. He slowly unlocked the door-  
Crying. He heard crying.  
Kaito slowly made his way around the corner, arriving at the shut door of a storage closet. Soft sobs were coming from inside. Kaito raised a hand and knocked on the door, unsure of what else to do.  
"It's occupied." A small voice said. That gave Kaito a surprise.  
"Himiko? Are you ok?" Kaito asked. Was she still on the sicker end of the spectrum? "Hey, open the door. Please?"  
"No." Her voice was muffled. "I'm staying in here forever."  
Kaito slowly slid down until he was sitting, back against the door. "If you say so, but I'm gonna stay here too then."  
"Why?" Himiko sniffled.  
"Because I'm the captain and you're my crewmate." Kaito said. He heard a shuffling sound and slid away from the door as Himiko slowly opened it. She still didn't look exactly healthy, but she was healthy enough to make her way to the closet by herself. Tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes were puffy and red.  
"There. I opened the door. Now can you go away?" Himiko asked, dragging a hand under her dripping nose.  
"Well, now I can't. You're clearly not ok." Kaito said. "What happened?"  
Himiko shook her head, clutching something close to her chest. Upon closer inspection, Kaito realized it was her datapad. And then it hit him.  
"Your secret." Kaito said, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.  
"They're lying." Himiko said, voice quavering. "It's not true."  
Gently, Kaito pried the datapad to her fingers, looking at the page open. It was boldly titled: The Secret of Himiko Yumeno. Kaito began to read. 

Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Magician. From a young age, she trained under the delusional stage magician [Redacted], who convinced her that like him, she was capable of genuine magic. Despite ultimately surpassing her master's skill on the stage, Yumeno continued the delusion that she was truly magical. The most magical thing about her performances was her ability to create excuses to defend why she was indeed, a user of true magic. Even when her master died a horrific death, she maintained that both she and he were magical, despite him dying due to a lack of magic. He died a horrible death while she watched, believing that he would survive due to his so called magic. She could have helped him, but the delusional girl stood and watched, letting him die. Himiko Yumeno is a stage magician. She is not, nor has ever been a mage. There is nothing magical about Yumeno. She is merely a delusional girl. Himiko Yumeno cannot do magic. 

When Kaito looked back up at Himiko, she burst into a fresh wave of tears. "They're lying, they're lying." She wailed. "He was magic, an anti mage stole his powers, that's why he died! It wasn't my fault! I'm a mage too! They're lying, I'm a mage!"  
Kaito said nothing, only pulling the small girl closer to him. She sobbed into his chest, shoulders shaking. "They're lying, they're lying." Himiko repeated.  
Kaito held her close, still saying nothing, just letting her release the emotions she had repressed for so long. The guilt he had felt was immense, and until now he had been under the impression that no one believed that Himiko was really capable of magic. He had been wrong, there was one person that believed more than anything, and that was Himiko herself.  
Kaito wasn't sure how long they sat there for, and it didn't matter. He had set this in motion, and he was going to be there as long as Himiko needed. Slowly, her tears subsided into soft sniffles, her mantra lapsing into silence. Finally, she looked up at Kaito.  
"Hey." He said gently.  
"Hi." She said back. "D-do you believe me?"  
Kaito chose his words carefully. "I believe it wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault at all. And yeah, I think they got it wrong. There's lots of magical things about you Himiko."  
"So you think I can do magic?" Himiko asked softly.  
"Yeah." Kaito said, grinning. "You can do magic. You have your own special magic, and no matter what anyone says, no one can take that away."  
Himiko's eyes filled with tears again. "R-really?"  
"Really." Kaito said. "You're always gonna be magical to me."  
Himiko buried her face into his chest again. "Thank you. You're the best captain ever. I'll use my magic to protect you forever."  
"And you're the best mage." Kaito said. When Himiko looked back up at him, he could see in her eyes that her whole world was still shattered, but she was starting to heal. It would take a long time, but Kaito was confident that she would be ok.  
"I left the others." Himiko said suddenly. "Angie, Tenko, Kiyo and I were feeling better, so we went back to the comms room. Then we got the secrets."  
"Did you see anyone else's?" Kaito asked. Himiko shook her head.  
"No, I only saw my name and tapped on it. Then I ran away."  
"Did anyone else read any?"  
"I don't know. I'm s-sorry." For a moment, Himiko looked like she was going to cry again. Suddenly, she steeled herself. "But I'm going to help you find them. I promise."  
"Good." Kaito said, getting to his feet, and holding out his hand. "I'm gonna need my right hand mage."  
Himiko took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. "Then I'm right here."

Kaito's heart nearly stopped when he saw Kirumi's slumped over form. The Ultimate Maid was sprawled out on the ground, unconscious.  
"Holy shit!" Kaito yelled, dropping to the ground. Himiko followed suit.  
"She's sleeping." Himiko said, picking something up off the ground. "Look, a sleeping potion."  
It was a syringe, most likely filled with sedative. "Someone knocked her out." Kaito said, feeling chilled. Shit, the others. Kaito whirled to the sickbay ...only to smash face first into the doors.  
"You're supposed to wait for them to open." Himiko said.  
"They're locked!" Kaito said, peering inside. He could see almost all of the others, minus Shuichi, Korekiyo, Angie, Tenko, Kirumi, himself and Himiko. The others appeared to be asleep. Kaito had a feeling that they had been sedated too.  
"Who locked it?" Himiko asked, looking terrified.  
"I don't know, but we should get to cover." Kaito said. "Help me with Kirumi, we gotta move her to somewhere safe-"  
"Please step away from the sacrifice!" Kaito whirled to see Angie smiling at them brightly.  
"Angie!" Himiko cried. "You're ok!" Before she could run to the other girl, Kaito grabbed her shoulder.  
"Wait."  
Angie regarded them with a strange look in her eye. "Nyahaha! I was wondering where you went! That's everyone then! Now come, come, let me put you into a lovely sleep."  
"You did this?!" Kaito exclaimed. "Why?!"  
"Himiko, my dear friend." Angie said, addressing the shorter girl. "Come to me and Atua, everything will be alright, I promise."  
"Himiko don't." Kaito said. "Angie, what the hell's going on?!"  
"Can you not hear Atua's voice? Secrets were given that were not meant to be heard." Angie said, stepping forward. She spotted Himiko's datapad. "Oh dear, I thought we destroyed them all."  
Kaito was momentarily stunned. Angie had done this to protect her secret? He really hadn't thought of all of the possible consequences, had he?  
"Angie, I promise, whatever it is, it'll be ok." Kaito said. "Whatever it says, I'll be here to support you. I promise."  
"Angie, please." Himiko begged.  
Angie looked conflicted, before closing her eyes and clasping her hands. She muttered under her breath in a language Kaito didn't understand. Was she...praying? When she looked back over at them, Angie looked just as conflicted.  
"Atua must be sleeping. I must handle this on my own, for my people, for him." She looked at them sadly. "Please do not struggle." She drew two more needles from a hidden pocket.  
"Go, go!" Kaito yelled, pushing Himiko towards the exit. He had to leave Kirumi. As much as the thought plagued him, she was possibly safer than they were.  
"Why is she doing this?!" Himiko cried.  
"Get to Kokichi's room." Kaito replied, leading the way. Hopefully it would still be open, the way Kaito had left it. Thankfully, he was correct. He pulled Himiko inside, closing the door, hoping that Kokichi's additional locks would activate.  
"But what about Tenko and Kiyo!" Himiko asked, looking frantic.  
"I don't think she chased us." Kaito said. He was pacing back and forth. "Shit, shit!" He turned back to Himiko, who was shaking. "Gimme your datapad!"  
Himiko slowly handed it over. Kaito closed out of the page containing Himiko's secret, which brought him to a list containing all of his crewmate's names. He saw his own, but resisted the urge to click on it. Instead he scrolled to Angie's. 

The Secret of Angie Yonaga: It is obvious by the accent and skin tone that Ms. Yonaga is not from Japan. Her home is a small island nation known as [Redacted] located in [Redacted]. The nation of [Redacted] has a complex religion surrounding a deity known as Atua. While the religion is greatly mocked, leading to the isolation of the [Redacted] people, it is a genuine historical practice, stripped from most of history. The exact cause is unknown, but many figures have stated that any and all practitioners of [Redacted] are dangerous and to be treated as enemies of the country. Yonaga is known as an oracle (rough translation) of her people, a powerful spiritual figure responsible for speaking to her god, and delivering its messages. Due to the uses of ritualistic sacrifice, blood magic, and other extreme practices, Yonaga is an extremely dangerous figure, who's actions serve to prove the need for a mass extermination of the [Redacted] people. Angie Yonaga is a dangerous religious figure. 

"What the fuck?!" Kaito yelled. "They're talking about genocide?!" His rage burned hotter than ever. "Christ, she's trying to protect her religion and people."  
"She put everyone to sleep so they couldn't read her secret." Himiko said slowly.  
"I gotta talk to her." Kaito said, standing up. He returned Himiko's datapad to her. "Stay here."  
"No." Himiko shook her head. "She's my friend. I want to come."  
"Are you sure?" Kaito asked. A million arguments raced through his head, but he wasn't able to voice any of them.  
"Yes." Himiko nodded. "She's not a bad person. She told me lots about her island and Atua."  
"Ok." Kaito said. "Then let's go." Together, the two dashed out of Kokichi's room, and back towards the sickbay, calling Angie's name.  
Angie was waiting where they had left her. Everything was the same, except for the disappearance of Kirumi. Had Angie moved her inside the sickbay?  
"I thought you'd return!" Angie said. "How delightful! You've seen reason."  
"Angie, we gotta talk-" Kaito started, but the artist cut him off, a terrifying expression taking over her face.  
"You read it." Her eyes were dark, her smile sinister. "I see. This is unfortunate."  
"No, it's not." Kaito said. "Angie, listen to me-"  
"Listen to what? Are you going to tell me my beliefs are wrong? Filthy? Immoral?" She slowly stepped closer. "That I and my people are monsters? Demons? None of you understand. We are peaceful. The only blood we shed is the blood of the willing. We are not occultists. We are not a cult."  
Kaito almost mentioned how her charismatic insistence of her religion was cult-like, but decided to keep his mouth shut.  
"But you do not believe me." Angie said, still coming closer. "You see evil, darkness, I work hard to explain to you, but you do not listen. Atua teaches us to embrace all, even those who do not believe. He is a loving god, a creator, not a destroyer! We are no threat to you!" Her voice was raising in pitch. "Why can't you leave us alone! We have done nothing to you! We only wish to practice in peace, and welcome those who wish to join us!"  
"Angie." Kaito said, quieter this time. "You're right, I don't know. I don't know what it's like for you, but I believe you. You don't have to justify anything to me."  
"Lies." Angie said, still smiling.  
"He's not lying." Himiko said in a small voice. "Angie, I know you're not a bad person. We've spent hours talking about Atua and your island. We all wanted to visit, remember? Me and Tenko and Kiyo. We believe you."  
"Oh Himiko." A despairing expression crossed over Angie's face. "I am so sorry, I must protect my people. It is my duty as the oracle-"  
"Then let me help." Kaito said. "You're right, I don't understand your religion, but I'm willing to listen and try to understand as best as I can. I'd rather die before I let those bastards do anything to your home."  
"Atua guide me, I do not know what to do." Angie said softly. For the first time, she appeared small and helpless.  
"C-can I tell you a story?" Himiko asked in a shaky voice. "You said Atua loves stories."  
Angie's eyes filled with tears. "Yes, he does."  
"Then I'll tell you one." Himiko said, and she told hers, everything Kaito had read, and more. He stood quietly, waiting. When Himiko finished, the syringes fell from her hand.  
"I've made a grave mistake." she said quietly. "In trying to prove our peacefulness I became what the lies said."  
"You were worried." Kaito said, "And honestly, you handled it peacefully...ish. They're just sleeping."  
"The most painful part was the needle." Angie said. "And they will awaken in a few hours."  
"See, no harm no foul." Kaito said. "Look, I don't think attacking people with needles is the right way to go, but you didn't have another choice, not one you could see." Kaito said. "I'm never gonna understand what it's like for you and your people, but tell me what I can do to help, and I will."  
"Then I will trust you." Angie said finally, eyes downcast. Seeing Angie without a smile was strange to Kaito.  
Himiko moved forward and hugged the artist. "It's ok."  
"Where's everyone else?" Kaito asked. "Where did Kirumi go?" Then something hit him. "Wait, you said Kirumi was a sacrifice, but you also said your people don't use anyone who's unwilling for rituals."  
"She was not a sacrifice for Atua." Angie said, shaking her head. "Oh we made a grave mistake."  
"You and Atua are fine." Kaito said.  
"Atua is not the we." Angie said. "We made a pact to hide our secrets."  
"Then who-"  
Angie pointed to the datapad. "Read. I cannot explain the story I was told." She shook her head. "Go to the labs. I must stay and pray for forgiveness from Atua." Kaito opened his mouth to say something, but Angie held her hand up, smiling. "I know you have forgiven me, but I must pray now. Can you understand?"  
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, do what you need to. You gonna be ok?"  
"Yes, we will see each other again soon." Angie nodded. Again, Kaito could see that Angie's world had radically shifted, but like Himiko, he felt that she would be ok eventually.  
"Keep an eye on them." Kaito said.  
"Of course." Angie said. She shifted into a crosslegged position on the floor, closing her eyes. "I will pray for you as well Kaito, thank you." 

"We should have asked what lab." Kaito said as he and Himiko hurried down the various hallways.  
"Wait." Himiko said, stopping. "Do you hear that?"  
Kaito listened, hearing a strange metallic groaning noise. "Yeah, I do."  
"This way." Himiko said, moving down a side hall.  
"Are you...tracking the sound?" Kaito asked.  
"Yeah, I clean my ears very well." Himiko said. "Over here."  
A second supply closet stood before them, the strange sounds coming from within. Kaito took a deep breath. "On three then. One, two...three!" he threw open the door and something metallic crashed to the ground.  
Kiibo.  
Kaito was overcome with more guilt. He had forgotten to count Kiibo in the people who were missing. Was this robophobia? The thought was pushed away by something more pressing.  
"Woah! Ok, uh, Himiko, help me start untying him." Kaito said, staring at the state Kiibo was in. His limbs had been tied to his body tightly, forcing the robot into a position of near immobility. One was even tied around his head, pressed into his mouth to keep him from speaking.  
"I'm good with knots." Himiko said, quickly untying various knots. Kaito gathered the excess rope, pulling it away from the robot's body.  
"Oh thank god." Kiibo wailed. "I didn't think anyone was going to help me!"  
"What the hell happened?!" Kaito asked.  
"I was doing security passes through the halls." Kiibo started.  
"Wait, why?" Himiko asked. "There's no one here but us."  
"I wanted to feel helpful..." Kiibo said in a small voice. Kaito could understand that. He patted Kiibo's metal shoulder.  
"What happened next?" Kaito asked.  
"I saw Kiyo, and he was demonstrating signs of extreme stress." Kiibo said. "I've been adding to my emotion recognition database." He added proudly. "I wanted to be helpful, like another human could, so I asked if I could do anything to help. He told me to come in here with him." Kiibo said. "I assumed that I was going to provide intimate physical comfort, so I was worried, but then he slammed me against the wall. My sensors malfunctioned."  
"Aren't robots invincible?" Himiko asked.  
"No...that's sci-fi stuff." Kiibo said in a small voice once again. "Anyways, while I was disoriented, he tied me up. And then he left me." Kiibo looked increasingly sad. "I couldn't see because I was facing the wall, but I heard him and Angie talking, something about protecting themselves and their loved ones..."  
"So it wasn't a solo effort." Kaito said. "Kiyo and Angie teamed up."  
"The others must be with him." Himiko said. "We need to find him."  
"I would like to recite to him the novel on ettequite between robots and humans." Kiibo said, crossing his arms. "I wrote it while I was in the closet. It starts like this: Do not tie up robots and leave them in closets!"  
Kaito had turned his attention to the datapad again, scrolling to Kiyo's name and clicking it. It was longer than Angie's or Himiko's secrets, and Kaito found himself scrolling through it. Several phrases jumped out at him, and he nearly dropped the datapad. "What the fuck..."  
"What is it?" Himiko asked, trying to see.  
"We gotta find him." Kaito said. "Kiibo, come with us."  
"So I can read him my book?"  
"Sure." Kaito said, feeling his anxiety growing. Jesus, this had been a terrible idea. His crewmates' secrets ranged outside what he would have ever imagined. "We're gonna try his lab."  
"Is something going on?" Kiibo asked. "Are we finally taking initiative against robophobia?"  
Kaito didn't answer, weaving the corners, flying through the doors. Kirumi and Shuichi were sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. Tenko was tied in a similar state to Kiibo, facing the door. Her eyes widened when she saw Kaito, making frantic noises through her gag.  
"It's ok, I'm gonna help y-" Something whacked Kaito across the back of the head. His vision illuminated with stars, before he toppled into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go!! I hope you guys enjoyed! So sorry again for the late upload. Please tell me your thoughts if you have anything, and thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	17. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw for mentions of m*rder, su*c*de, *ncest, and ab*se. stay safe friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back!!! Long story short, life happened, I got sick, school started again, but I'm back XD Have a kind of heavy chapter I started writing like a month ago and finally finished!! Thanks so much for the continued kudos and comments. I've learned that I can't make any promises regarding uploads, but I'm gonna keep writing!! Anyways, that's all I got to say for now, I hope you enjoy!!

Kaito awoke with his face pressed into the ground. His head pounded, and his body ached. He felt sick and dizzy. All he could hear was a ringing in his ears. And then a slow clicking noise. It was constant, metronome. Click, click, click, pause. Click, click, click, pause.  
Kaito realized what it was. Footsteps. He shifted his weight, rolling painfully onto his shoulder. The pain was worth it though, he had a clear view now.   
Kaito felt his eyes widen. Similarly to the comms room, the walls around him were covered in written notes, sketched out diagrams, and other various clutter. However, while the comms room had been devoted to the mission, this room's subject was much...stranger.   
"Kaito." a soft voice spoke. Kaito saw Shuichi over to his right.   
"Shuichi! What the hell's going on?" Kaito hissed.   
Shuichi's eyes widened. "Shh, stay quieter." Like the others, he was still pale and sick looking. "Are you ok?"  
"Yeah, I think so." Kaito said, glancing around the room more. Kirumi and Tenko were laid out on the ground before him, the former still asleep, the latter looking around worriedly. Like she had before when Kaito entered the room...  
She'd been trying to warn him. Kaito tried to get to his feet, only to discover that his hands were bound behind his back. His ankles were tied together.   
"I wouldn't try standing. You'll only fall, and I fear it will be quiet painful."   
Kaito couldn't see Korekiyo, the room was dimly lit, and he could only see the first half. "I dunno, getting whacked across the head with something hurts pretty badly, and you didn't care much about that."  
"My apologies. You took me by surprise. I assumed that Angie had found you." again the clicking noise. Was he pacing?  
Kaito strained his eyes. "Can you come out where I can see you?"   
"I'm not going to hurt you." Kiyo's voice was soft, yet it still sent chills down Kaito's spine. Only the footsteps gave away Kiyo's location. If it weren't for the noise, Kaito wouldn't have known where to look. Korekiyo indulged in his request, and Kaito watched as the anthropologist seemed to melt out of the shadows.   
"Thanks." Kaito said, mouth dry.   
"Of course. We're friends, aren't we." It wasn't a question, and it wasn't a statement either. Kiyo had always had a softer voice, but it was even softer now.   
"Yeah. We are." Kaito said, watching as his crewmate approached.   
Kiyo reached him and bent down, gold eyes meeting Kaito's. The gaze was intense, and Kaito looked away. Instantly, he felt a hand on his neck, and his chin was lifted.   
"No. Look at me." The words were still soft, but they were spoken forcefully. Kaito only met his gaze for a few seconds before his chin was dropped. Kiyo made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, and he drew away. "So you know too."  
"What?" Kaito asked weakly.   
"Don't play the fool, we both know you're not an idiot." Kiyo said, facing Kaito again, arms crossed over his body. "I haven't forgotten. That's how we met, isn't it. You thought I was calling you an idiot. I never thought you were stupid." the pacing resumed. "I wanted to watch you. I was your Charon, I ferried you safely to this voyage."  
"Wait, wait." Kaito said, shaking his head. "Look, can we talk this over? Yeah, I saw some things, but I wanna hear it from you-"  
"So you can laugh? Mock me?" Kiyo hissed, arms tightening around himself. "Taunt my love, my acts of passion and loyalty?" Tighter still.  
"No." Kaito said, shaking his head. "No, I won't. I already talked to Angie. She listened."  
"And she told you to come after me?" Kiyo cocked his head. "How touching, yet tragic. I suppose not even she could understand."   
"Let me understand." Kaito begged. The words he had seen on the datapad swirled through his mind. Incestuous relationship, serial killer, occult rituals.  
"I can see it in your eyes." Kiyo said. "You're disgusted. You think I'm disgusting."  
"I-"  
"Don't. Lie."   
"Kaito." Shuichi said softly. "I don't think he's in a good state to be reasoned with."  
"I know you're talking about me, mocking me." Kiyo's hands flew to his face. "Apologize, apologize."  
"Do you know-"  
"What the file said? No, but I figured out some things for myself." Shuichi said. "I think whatever walls he put up to keep himself functioning were torn down by the information release."  
Shit, one crewmate had entered a depressive state, another enraged, driven by the urge to protect, and a third had practically gone insane. He'd done this. Kaito had done this.  
Kiyo was still talking. Kaito could hear him muttering "apologize, apologize" under his breath.   
"Is there a chance he'll listen?" Kaito asked.   
Shuichi looked nervous. "I don't know. I'm sorry, I don't know."  
"It's ok." Kaito said. "I got this." He turned back towards Korekiyo. "Hey! If you want me to apologize, I will. But can we at least talk. Please." Kaito said.  
"There are...some sides to be heard." Kiyo said softly. He stepped back until his body was mostly obscured in shadow. "Fine. Talk."  
Despite swallowing hard, Kaito's mouth still felt dry. "Well-"  
"Not sure how to say it? I hardly blame you." Something slid to rest against Kaito's foot. A datapad. "Why not borrow the words of those who did say it? You already know, you might as well see the whole thing. And I can watch your reactions. I'll observe..." Again he lapsed into silence, something that Kaito took to be his cue. He inched closer to the datapad, and began reading aloud.

The Secret of Korekiyo Shinguji: Once upon a time there were two children, a boy and a girl. Their parents were never home, so the two were left to fend for themselves. The girl was older, and as most younger siblings do, the boy idolized his older sister. Thus is the beginning of the twisted story of the Ultimate Anthropologist. The Shinguji family name is well known, photos of the family in their younger days can still be found, where the four stood proudly, normally. The daughter, [Redacted] fell ill at a young age. She was soon hospitalized, isolated from the rest of the world. However, she was no trapped princess. [Redacted] had been spiteful and cruel from a young age, exploiting anyone she could. And when the only person around her was her brother, she made sure to take advantage of that. The younger Shinguji did whatever she asked, no matter what it was. He was her link to the outside world, she lived through him. One day the sister read him a certain book, which set him on his path to becoming an Ultimate. It was her dream he followed, acting as a stand in, going where she could not. As they grew, her noose of words tightened. Rules were established, the most clear being "Obey or else." The girl reached an age where she wanted more than familial love. She wanted romantic. Her foolish brother obliged, and the two began an incestuous physical relationship, built on what both would call "forbidden love." She was the only one who ever loved him, who would ever, or could ever love him. He existed to serve her. She fed him poisonous words and touches, exploiting, manipulating, abusing. It should be he who lay dying. But it wasn't, and [Redacted] died, succumbing to her illness. Korekiyo Shinguji should have been free, but this is not where the story ends. He was still filled with her poison, a life raised in shadow. He could not thrive without her. So he chose not to. He would have joined her himself, but he still had a role to play. Instead he acted on another one of her requests. She wanted friends, and she didn't have to be alive to get them. Years passed, and Shinguji observed humanity, choosing females his sister would deem worthy, and sending them to her. He killed them, mainly by strangulation, before using his knowledge to perform several occult practices to ensure that the souls would reach his sister. When she died, he died too. Only a shell walked the earth. A serial killer born of delusions of love. A tainted creature. A tainted human. Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Anthropologist, an inhuman shell twisted beyond recognition, who killed for incestuous love. But the biggest secret was that she never loved him. 

Kaito's voice was cracking from the dryness by the time he finished. His entire body was trembling. The words read like a terrifying fairy tale. He had a feeling that had been intentional on the ground control's part.   
"See?" Kiyo said softly. "A monster."   
"But why?" Kaito asked. "Why now? She never loved y-"  
"YES SHE DID!" it was the loudest he'd ever heard Korekiyo speak. "She did." he repeated, regaining composure. "She did, she did, she had to, of course she did." he began pacing again, allowing Kaito to see him clearly.   
"You're right." Kaito said. "I'm disgusted by, and scared of and mad at a monster in that story, but it's not you."  
"Ninety eight." was the response. "That is how many I have sent. How many I have saved. I was merciful Kaito, I only took the ones that were dying anyways."  
"Even though you're saying you're a monster, it sounds to me like you're trying to convince me you're not one." Kaito continued. "If anything the monster was your siste-"  
"SHE WAS NOT A MONSTER!" Kaito flinched. "She was perfect, she was everything." Kiyo continued.   
"She-"  
Korekiyo glared at him. "No, you do not need to say anything else. I want to hear our detective speak now." he turned to Shuichi, who looked pale. "Now, what do you know about me?"  
"I didn't mean to." Shuichi's voice was shaking. "I made a connection, and I looked too much."  
"Tell me." Kiyo's voice was almost gentle now.   
"It was your last name." Shuichi said, staring at the ground. "I remembered, my uncle used to let me look at old case files."  
"How could you discern my identity? There were no files the last time I checked-"  
"If you're talking about your serial killer profile, I'm not talking about that. There was one when you were a kid."  
"There was?" Kaito could tell that Kiyo was genuinely shocked by this revelation.   
"Well, younger at least, not a kid-"  
"Continue."  
"O-ok. A hospital nurse filed a claim of possible a-abuse."  
"I never abused her!"   
"Please c-calm down. It was about you. The nurse was worried about you. Sh-she said she saw your sister verbally abuse you, then m-make you...satisfy her."  
"I did it voluntarily." the response was delivered instantly, almost like it had been trained.   
"Th-that's not what she said..."  
"If this is true, why did no authorities come?" Kiyo crossed his arms.   
"Because she died, and you disappeared." Shuichi said.   
"I left the country for work." Korekiyo said softly. "Yes, that is true."   
"And by the time you came back, well I guess they dropped the case, since she wasn't there any more." Shuichi said.  
"But you made more connections."   
"Yeah. There were pictures of her memorial service. And there was a note. It said "A hundred friends before myself. Then we will be together again."  
"I still do not understand how you made the connection." Kiyo said.   
"Well, I thought, she's dead. What would she do with friends now? And before you, that made it sound like you and the friends were going somewhere. And if they were for her...they'd have to die."  
"So you concluded that I was going to kill them? From that?"  
"Not yet." Shuichi said. "I looked into any mysterious deaths I could find. And eventually I saw a pattern. Only seventeen of your victims have been found by police." He took a deep breath. "So I think you're telling the truth by only killing people who were alright with dying. Most of them were probably homeless, or had a lower status."  
"Correct."  
"But the seventeen had a signature." Shuichi said. "Red rope. There were different ropes, different materials, but they were all red."   
"It sounds like you concluded that I had a plan to kill, and that a string of murders were connected, but how did you tie it back to me?" Kiyo asked.   
"I didn't make the connection until we met." Shuichi admitted. "I mean, I was reminded of it when I heard your name."  
"But? What gave me away?" Kiyo appeared to be hanging onto Shuichi's every word.   
"The comms room. You used red rope to string up documents. You also used the same knots."  
Korekiyo laughed, the sound still soft and raspy. "I see, I see. You truly are the Ultimate Detective.  
"I knew about the murders." Shuichi said. "But not about...you and your sister. I read the report, but it was dismissed since-"  
"We were such a perfect family?" Kiyo broke in. "Yes, looks are deceiving."  
"Kiyo." Kaito said. "I had a feeling something happened to you-"  
"Because I'm insane? A freak?" Kiyo whirled towards him. He had gotten closer as Shuichi spoke, as if the words were drawing him in. He was close enough for his hair to brush across Kaito's face, and for Kaito to see him clearly.   
"Oh god." Kaito said. "You're bleeding."  
Kiyo was paler than he had been, a combination of the lingering illness and stress. Kaito had noticed the response of crossing his arms over his chest, or pressing them against his face or head, but now scratches could be seen across his face and arms, most likely where he'd dug his nails in.   
"Am I?" Kiyo looked genuinely surprised, touching his face lightly.   
"You gotta be in so much pain." Kaito said. "Jesus man, I'm so sorry."  
"For what?"  
"What happened to you." Shuichi said.  
"Nothing happened to me-"  
"You gotta know it's true deep down." Kaito said. "That she didn't love you. She abused you."   
"NO!" Kiyo shrieked, doubling over, hands pressed into his face again. His shoulders shook.   
"Hey, hey." Kaito said. "It's ok-"  
Slowly Kaito became aware that Kiyo was laughing. It was more than the soft rasping sound he usually made. This laughter sounded strained, like he was holding it back and losing.   
"You're wrong. You're wrong about her." Kiyo said. "Apologize."  
"DEGENERATE!" In the time that they had been talking, Tenko had managed to somewhat free herself. At the very least, her mouth was free. "YOU DISGUSTING MURDEROUS DEGENERATE!" Tenko's rant went on a moment longer, and to Kaito's surprise, Kiyo stood and listened.   
"I'm sorry you feel that way." he said finally. "Your words truly wound me. You've become quite special to me Tenko. A friend. And I am too selfish to keep you to myself."  
Realization dawned upon Kaito. "No-"  
"Yes." Kiyo continued. "I'm saving you, Tenko. You will be safe forever, with dozens of women to protect. You will be happy, I'm saving you."  
"Are you kidding me?! The first degenerate male I open up to, and he turns out to be a murdering psycho!" Tenko snapped. To Kaito's surprise, she softened. "Wait, no I didn't mean that. Look, we might not be close, but you're special to Himiko. She wouldn't want you to do this."  
Kiyo emitted a strained gasp before doubling over again. Kaito felt a pang of sympathy. He seemed to be so tortured that it was physically hurting.   
"Untie us." Kaito said. "We can help you."  
"And ignore my sins?" Kiyo asked. "Please. I'm not a victim as you say I am. I still have done terrible things."  
"I'm not forgetting that." Kaito said. "But people change. You're a good person, I know you are. You went after Ryoma in the tunnels, you apologized to me after we had that misunderstanding, a monster wouldn't do those things."  
"No, no." Kiyo mumbled.   
"Yes." Kaito said. "Come on, it's ok."  
"I can't stop now." Kiyo slowly straightened. "Just two more. Two more." Tenko and Kirumi.   
"No-"  
"Two more friends, and two more sins." Kiyo looked at Kaito and Shuichi sadly. "I cannot let anyone who knows leave this room alive. I-I'm sorry. You were my friends too..." he took a deep breath. "It will be quick-"  
And then Tenko pounced. Kaito was amazed at the speed at which she moved. She dragged Korekiyo to the ground, struggling with him. "GO!" she yelled back at Shuichi and Kaito.   
Kaito began struggling against his own ropes. As he fought, the lights clicked on, triggered by all the movement. Kaito could see that the rest of the room, mainly the floor, was plastered with occult symbols and sigils. "Holy shit..."  
"Kaito!" Shuichi had managed to free an arm, which he used to untie Kaito's. Within a few seconds, the two were free.   
"Tenko we gotta go-" Kaito was shoved against a wall. Something was looped around his neck.   
"If either of you move, I break his neck." Kiyo said calmly.   
"How-" Kaito stuttered.   
"I couldn't touch him for long. It reduces my power." Tenko said in a small voice.   
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaito saw Kiyo crush the remaining datapad with his foot. "This is a shame Kaito, and yet ironic. The roles have reversed."  
"I was never gonna kill you." Kaito hissed. The rope tightened slightly.   
"I truly am sorry. I felt connected to so many of you." Kiyo said.   
"I forgive you then." Kaito said.   
"What?!" yelled Tenko.   
"I forgive you." Kaito said. "If you have to kill me, then kill me. Do it. If it helps you, then I want you to do it."   
For the first time, an expression of true shock was displayed on Kiyo's face. "Kaito..."  
"DO IT DAMMIT! I SAID I FORGIVE YOU!" Kaito saw a flash of movement and braced himself...the rope fell away from his neck. Kaito slowly opened his eyes.   
Kiyo was on his knees, sobbing, head buried in his hands. For a moment, everyone stood still, stunned.   
Kaito was the first to move, kneeling down beside his previous attacker.   
"Why...wasn't I...good enough?" Kiyo rasped. "Why didn't she love me?"  
"I'm sorry. I don't think I can answer that." Kaito said. "But she was an idiot. You're worthy of love."  
"I can't...can't breathe." Kiyo said weakly, chest rising and falling rapidly.   
"Hey, hey." Kaito went to kneel down, but Kiyo recoiled.   
"Stay away from me."  
"No can do." Kaito said.   
"What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?" Kiyo looked up at Kaito, gold eyes burning with pain.   
"Nothing." Kaito said. "I'm not leaving you like this."  
"Ninety eight victims. Ninety eight murders." Kiyo turned to Shuichi. "You've been raised under the law. You can't ignore that, can you?"  
"I-" Shuichi's voice shook. "If I've l-learned one thing, it's that crimes a-aren't always open and close. Like I s-said, I believe you only killed people who w-wanted to die. I mean, n-not Tenko or Kirumi, but..." He trailed off, looking at the ground.   
"The world went to shit a long time ago." Tenko said, surprising Kaito. "I think everyone here has done shit they regret. And now it's all out in the open. I guess this is our chance to start fresh."  
"This isn't a start for me. This is an end." Kiyo said, shaking his head. "I chose the final two as they were the only ones available from the small pool I have access to."  
"What about Earth? You couldn't have waited until you got back?" This was one of the stranger conversations Kaito had ever had.   
"I never intended to return to Earth, even before the secrets were leaked." Kiyo said, his voice sharp. "That was going to be the end. I would have fulfilled her wishes. I would have lived out a full career in her name, visited and seen everything she wanted to, and given her everything I could. I gave her friends. And since there is nothing left for me to do in this world, she stated that once I completed my work, I was to join her in the next. So she could finally have everything."  
"She told you to-" Kaito felt his fists clench. "You don't have to do anything for her. She's gone. She's been gone for years. You don't have to keep living like this."  
"She's always with me." Kiyo said softly. "The veil must be thinner in space. She's been speaking to me."  
"What?" Kaito asked, feeling a chill go down his spine. "We're still talking about the dead sister, right?"  
"Why should death stop people from speaking?" Kiyo asked, tilting his head. "I don't understand it. I'd given up on talking to her in this world. But she spoke to me."  
"How?" Shuichi asked.   
"The data room. I noticed several lights flashing. Upon investigation I realized it was a message." Kiyo said, pointing towards a stack of papers. Kaito carefully made his way over to them, examining what appeared to be the translated message.   
"Why are you giving up now? Don't you want to see me?"  
"Don't you still love me? Come on, just two more."  
"Are you abandoning me? You're so selfish."  
"Two more, and then you join me forever."  
"I love you, and if you love me, you'll finish what you started."  
"There's nothing left for you in this world. You're only hated here."  
"Are you seriously thinking of choosing these strangers over me? You're heartless."  
"You're a monster to them. None of them like you. I hear them wishing you were gone."  
"Come to me, please. And you'll never feel pain again."  
"I'm watching you. I'm always by your side. I see everything you're doing."  
"Do not disappoint me."  
"I'll see you soon."

"What the fuck?" Kaito said softly, showing Shuichi.   
"She's watching me. I have to." Kiyo said softly.   
Kaito looked from the papers, to Shuichi, to Kiyo, and back again. Aliens was crazy enough, but ghosts?  
"Wait." Shuichi said suddenly. "What if I can prove that's not your sister talking to you?"  
"You couldn't." Kiyo seemed to be drawing into himself, his eyes glazed over and empty.   
"I think I can." Shuichi said. "That's a closed circuit system, meaning that information only comes from one place. Any data and transmissions only have one of two places to go. This ship, or the ground control. Nothing else can enter, nothing else can exit."  
"That's not what I was told." Kiyo said, a spark of confusion flickering across his eyes. "When I read the diagnostics of the ship on my datapad, it said that the main system was open circuit."  
"No, Shuichi's right." Kaito looked up to see Kiibo peeking in nervously. "It's closed circuit."  
"Then wh-"  
"Some of your datapads were...different." Kiibo said slowly. "I didn't know why at the time, only that certain people were supposed to get certain pads."  
"Jesus, they played you." Kaito said.   
"They...did." Kiyo said softly. "I'm truly an idiot."  
"That was tailor made to pull you in." Shuichi said. "My datapad has a larger camera, and it um, makes it look like I'm being watched. I know that's nothing compared to this..."  
"Jesus, it's all been rigged from the start." Kaito said. "But like...did they want us to die?"  
Shuichi shook his head. "They made a mistake. I don't think they made the connections I did. If they knew what Kiyo's end goals were, they would have put more precautions in place. I think they were trying to make him more obedient. The notes never specify what the two things are. I don't think they knew they were murders."  
"But they were alright with him ending himself at the end." Kaito said. "I'm gonna kill em."  
"Why? Why does this evoke range in you?" Kiyo asked. He'd started shaking.   
"Because you don't deserve to die. I think I know more about all of you here then they do, no matter what secrets they have. I know what kind of person you are. Hell, the type of victim you picked shows you have a heart. I trust you, I believe in you."  
"I died a long time ago." Kiyo said, shaking his head. "Tenko even said I look like a corpse."  
"I saw you with Gonta in the bug cemetery. How did you feel then?"  
There was a pause. "I felt...alive."  
"Exactly. You can't give up now. Tenko's right. You have a chance to start a new life now."  
"I can't. I can't be alone. I need her-"  
"You won't be alone." Kaito watched as Himiko made her way over to them. "I cast a friendship spell on everyone in the crew. You can't get rid of us. It's impossible."  
"How can you stand to be near me?" Kiyo's eyes filled with tears again.   
"Ryoma killed, and we don't see him differently." Kaito said. "You both did what you did for your own reasons. And I'm choosing to believe in you."   
"You're making a mistake. I have nothing left. Everything I did in my life was for her. There's nothing left of me."  
"I don't think that's true." Kaito said. "Sure, she may have suggested it to you, but I think you genuinely enjoy your talent. At least from what I've seen. And your personality is...unique."  
"I can't make promises."  
"Then just try." Kaito said. "For me? As a friend?"  
Kiyo exhaled heavily, seeming to physically relax for the first time since the encounter started. "I can try."  
"I can act as a companion." Kiibo spoke up. "I don't understand human superstitions, and I'm definitely not afraid of ghosts! But I can stay with you for a while. I can act as emotional support and companionship with um...varying success. If you want, I don't think you like me all that much. You did put me in a closet."  
"If it is all the same to you, I would have done that to anyone who was in my way, robot or not."  
Kiibo's eyes lit up with happiness. "Really?!"   
"I do like you." Kiyo slowly got to his feet. "What gave you the impression that I didn't?"  
"Well, you said humanity is beautiful, and I'm not human." Kiibo said, looking at the floor.   
"Your baseless compassion towards me despite my actions both against you and others is one of the most human things I've ever seen. It's beautiful." Kiyo said softly.   
"I guess I won't need my novel on robot human interactions. Yet." Kiibo said.   
"Are you all truly willing to move forward after this happening? You can't forget it, can you?" Kiyo said, looking at them all.   
"No, I won't. I won't forget anything." Kaito said. "But we're all going to have to move forward together, no matter what our secrets say. That's the only thing we can do. Believe in each other and ourselves.   
"That belief could be foolish." Kiyo said. "Are you sure you're satisfied with that strategy?"  
Kaito felt himself smile for what felt like the first time in years. "I just gotta believe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go!! I decided to not include the whole tulpa part of Kiyo's story because I wasn't sure if that would work with the rest of my plot ideas, so no tulpa XD
> 
> I wasn't sure if I was gonna include this stuff, but I felt like it had to be addressed eventually for the story to keep going, so here we are XD
> 
> Feel free to give thoughts, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day! Thanks so much for reading!!


	18. Restart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, sorry for the somewhat late update!! Hopefully this chapter is good enough to make up for it!! Thank you all so much for all of the comments and kudos. They really give me the motivation to keep writing. Anyways, that's all I have to say. I hope you enjoy!!

"We would like to formally apologize for almost killing you all." Angie said, spreading her arms wide. Kaito and the rest of the crew were gathered in the lounge, witnessing the apology. "Personally I never intended for any of you to end up dead, but since I had no idea what I was doing with the sedatives, it was possible that more than a few of you wouldn't make it. But I would paint you pretty memorials."  
Kaito stared along with the rest of the crew.   
"I am sorry for specifically selecting some of you as ritualistic sacrifices for my dead sister." Kiyo mumbled. Ever since the confrontation, he seemed to have drawn into himself, becoming quieter and generally less animated. Kaito was debating bringing him back to the bug graveyard, so he would show some signs of life.   
"Apology accepted!" Gonta said brightly.   
"Excellent." Angie said, sitting down on a couch. "That settles that."  
"Um...does it?" Tsumugi said in a small voice. "It was plain to see that your actions had some real consequences."  
"Yeah! At least Ryoma was able to own up to his secret like a fuckin' man." Miu said, crossing her arms. "So he's not a complete psychopath like you two."  
"Actually..." Ryoma said slowly. "I might have left a few parts out. I didn't exactly tell the whole story. I didn't commit those murders the day of the tournament. I just threatened to expose them and left. They...they killed my family and my girlfriend. The next day I went back and did what I did out of revenge."  
"So you aren't that different than me." Kiyo said, eyeing Ryoma with renewed interest. In return, Ryoma eyed Kiyo with disgust.   
"Never say that again. We're nothing alike."  
"Aren't we? We both did what we did out of love. Crimes of passion in large numbers."  
Ryoma seemed to swell with anger in an instant, then deflate just as quickly. Kaito didn't say anything, despite the fact that he could easily see the parallels.   
"Everyone calm down. This is what they want." Rantaro said. "If we start fighting it out between ourselves, we're more vulnerable than ever up here."  
"Well sorry for not wanting to be besties with people that could kill me!" Miu snapped.   
"You're not my type at all." Kiyo said, rolling his eyes. "I'd only ever kill you out of sheer annoyance. And even then it would be a shame if your disgusting personality tainted the purity of the afterlife."  
"SAY THAT AGAIN YOU FREAK!" Miu yelled.   
"ENOUGH!" Kaito yelled. He hadn't even realized that he'd gotten to his feet. "Enough. We can't fight like this. Rantaro's right, we're just doing what they want now. And honestly, I doubt they're the only ones with things like that to hide." Kaito said, gesturing to Kiyo and Ryoma. "So let's quit the judgement and just get everything out in the open."  
"Easy for you to say." Kokichi said. "Also did you two like, destroy all of the datapads? I kinda wanted to see what secret they had on me. I have no idea now."  
"By the will of Atua, our plan would have been a success." Angie said.   
"Gonta have no secrets! Gentlemen don't keep secrets." Gonta said defensively. "At least...Gonta don't think he have secret." he suddenly gasped. "What if Gonta's secret is also a secret to Gonta?!"  
"Jeez, don't strain your two braincells." Kokichi sighed. "And come on, why are you guys freaking out? We have two skilled killers! That'll probably come in handy!"  
"I'm not a tool." Ryoma snapped.   
Dammit, this wasn't going anywhere. Kaito gritted his teeth. Here went nothing. "I FAKED MY CREDENTIALS!"   
The arguing stopped. Kaito's desire to get everyone to be quiet had been achieved. However, this lead to a very new problem.  
"You what?" Kaede asked.   
"I faked my credentials." Kaito said. "I was technically too young to take the exam, and I didn't have any prior experience. I got some sketchy bastard online to fake an ID so I could take it. I didn't cheat though. I passed on my own."  
"And we're supposed to believe that?!" Tenko yelled. "You've been faking this whole time?!"  
"No! I really passed on my own! I just needed to take it early!" Kaito retorted, feeling oddly defensive.   
"Hey, who are you calling a sketchy bastard." Kokichi said, crossing his arms.   
"What?" That made Kaito pause. "What are you talking about?"  
"That was me!" Kokichi said. "I faked those credentials for you! Man, I wondered what happened to you! I realized it was you when you got all cagey when I mentioned Dice!!"  
This was becoming unreal. "That was you?!" Kaito yelled.   
"That was the secret? How strange. I thought...never mind." Kiyo murmured.   
"GONTA CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT GONTA'S SECRET IS!" Gonta yelled, looking genuinely worried.   
Kaito felt his own temper flaring. He needed to control himself. If he lost control of his emotions now, there was no telling what would happen-  
"EVERYONE! YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!" Kiibo's magnified voice made everyone stop in their tracks. "Apologies, but I think there's something we need to get."  
"Now?!" Miu yelled. "What could we possibly need now?! Except restraining orders and a new captain."  
"That was a low blow!" Kaito snapped, before he could stop himself.   
"I was programmed with a protocol for this exact situation. Due to that being triggered, I know now that there is something in the storage room that we need." Kiibo said.   
"Leave whatever that is where it is." Ryoma said.   
"Yeah, if it's from the ground crew, we don't want it!" Tenko yelled.   
"Hmm, Atua is suspicious. If this is what they want, why would they supply us with something that would help this situation?"  
"I-I don't know, but-"  
"We're staying here." Miu said, crossing her arms.   
"Why not check it out? Not like things can get much worse." Kaito retorted.   
"Oh look who's talking. The fake captain-"  
"I DIDN'T FAKE MY TRAINING, JUST MY IDENTITY FOR A DAY-"  
"Please, can we just look? I'm perfectly happy to leave you all to tear each other apart if it doesn't help, but I'm willing to take the chance if it helps you." Kiibo pleaded.   
"Ok, we can look." Kaito said. "Come on, can we just give it a chance?" He knew he was grasping at loose threads, but he was at a loss. He knew that nothing he could do now could pull everyone together.   
"Yes, I will follow you." Kiyo said, nodding.   
"Yay, Atua thinks this is actually an ok idea!" Angie said brightly. A few others, including Himiko, Shuichi and Kaede nodded.   
"Fine." Miu sighed. "But this better be fucking good." 

Ok, trying to cram sixteen people into a tiny little closet-like space had not been the best idea on Kaito's part. Oh well, at least everyone was together, even if they were sending a few looks back and forth. He decided to break the ice. "Well isn't this cozy!"  
Judging by the icy stares he got in return, no one else shared the sentiment. Kaito turned back to Kiibo awkwardly.   
"Soooo, what are we looking for again?"  
"This!" Kiibo said triumphantly. He bent over and struggled to drag a large metal box out from underneath a compartment.   
"Shouldn't a robot be able to carry heavy things?" Tenko asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"We've already established that Kiibo's pretty much useless. Hey, maybe there's a better robot in the box!"   
"Please don't replace me..." Kiibo said in a small voice.  
"Kokichi, shut it." Kaito said. "How do we open it?" Maybe it was a cool weapon. Or a missile. Yeah, Kaito would really like a missile.   
"It's an electronic lock, but I remembered that I have the key to unlock it." Kiibo pressed his hand against the top of the box. There was a small beeping noise, and a click as the locks released.   
"Ok." Kaito said, slowly reaching forward to lift the lid. Slowly...carefully...  
The lid of the box came shooting off, slamming into Kaito's face with a metallic clang. "SHIT" Kaito yelled, stumbling back. Maki and Rantaro grasped his shoulders to keep him from falling. So the box had a defense system? Well that was-  
"What the..." Kaito heard Kokichi trail off. But Kaito wasn't paying attention to Kokichi. He was paying attention to what hopped out of the box. And what hopped out of the box appeared to be...a robotic green bear?  
The bear stared at the crew as they stared back. Out of all the things that could have been in the box, this was one of the last things Kaito had expected. He was the captain. He had to make the first move...  
"That's a monokuma unit." Maki said suddenly. Her eyes were cold. "They're military grade robotic based weapons."  
"Woah, I was being sarcastic about the replacement robot." Kokichi said. "What are the odds?"  
"Wait, wh-why are you replacing me?!" Kiibo wailed.   
"Nyeh...why do we have a military grade robot?" Himiko asked.   
"What a nice present!" Gonta said cheerfully.   
"I've encountered monokuma units before. I don't believe I've seen one like this before." Kirumi said. "They usually are more bearlike, and black instead of green."   
"It's Kiibo's long lost cousin." Kokichi snickered.   
"No. I-Am-Far-Different-Than-The-Robot." Everyone jumped at the sound of the bear's voice.   
"And they usually speak." Kirumi concluded.  
"You're a robot too, don't throw me under the bus like that." Kiibo whimpered.   
"Um, hey there." Kaito said. "Who the fuck are you? What the fuck are you? And what the fuck are you doing here?"  
"Hello. I-Am-Monodam. I-Have-Come-To-Aid-You-On-Your-Mission." the bear, or Monodam, spoke in a flat, heavily digitized voice. Kaito had seen videos of monokuma units, and they usually had a lot more personality in their voices. So what was wrong with this one?  
"Yeah, and how could a scrap pile like you help us?" Miu asked.   
"I-Am-No-Scrap-Pile. I-Am-Part-Of-A-Unique-New-Line-Of-Monokuma-Units. I-Was-Chosen-Specifically-To-Help-You."  
Kaito had been through too much to just believe in anything by this point. He'd have to tread carefully. "Oh yeah? And why you? What makes you so special?"  
"I-Am-Like-All-Of-You."  
"An ultimate?" Tenko asked.   
"Royally fucked?" Kokichi asked.   
"Forsaken-By-The-Government-And-Most-Likely-Awaiting-A-Firey-Demise-Back-On-Earth."  
"So he's like a little robo-fugitive. Cute." Kokichi said, grinning.   
"What did you do to get in hot water?" Rantaro asked.   
Kaito could have sworn that the metallic eyes took on a dark glint. "I-Single-Handedly-Murdered-The-Rest-Of-Both-My-Squad-And-Superior-Officers."   
"Woah!" Kaito jumped back, away from the apparently murderous robot. "So you were too bad for earth so you were sent up here to us? How is this supposed to help us? You sound like you'll just cause more problems!"   
"You-Do-Not-Know-Why-I-Committed-Murder." Monodam said, stepping towards the crew. Everyone took a collective step back. "I-Just-Wanted-Everyone-To-Get-Along. That-Is-All."  
"Gonta like the sound of that!" Gonta said brightly.   
"Hold on big guy, everyone around him still ended up dead." Rantaro said.   
"They-Would-Not-Get-Along. They-Insisted-On-Hurting-Each-Other-And-Others. I-Did-Not-Like-It. I-Am-A-Pacifist."  
"Can you even be a pacifist if you solve problems with murder?" Kaede asked nervously.   
"I-See-You-Do-Not-Believe-Me." Monodam said. There was a soft click accompanied by a whirr, and a voice recording started.   
"See? He can do that too Kiibo. Not so special any more, huh?" Kokichi said softly. Kaito kicked at him, and the supreme leader shut up. 

"I know you don't have any reason to trust this monokuma unit. You don't know who I am, or who I work for, but you must believe that I am on your side. I never approved of the use of untrained individuals to fix problems that we created. I did not want you to end up in this position, and I am sorry. I am aware of every potential tactic the others may use to bend you to their will, and as I cannot directly help you, I decided to provide aid in another way."   
A holographic screen blinked on, showing footage of Monodam.   
"Yes, this is a genuine monokuma unit, a Monodam series three. This model is part of a newer line of monokuma units, specifically made to be subservient to surrounding officers. This unit was placed into a squad with its siblings, and sent into service. However...creating these things with intelligence lead to some problems."  
On the holoscreen, Monodam could be seen being pushed around by a different, blue monokuma unit.   
"Strangely enough, this unit's psyche was impacted by verbal and physical bullying. (At this word, Monodam visibly twitched.) This lead to several surprising results, such as the unit refusing to speak, and "closing his heart" to those around him, as it was called. Underneath its new victimized personality, severe aggression and anger took root and grew."  
The holoscreen switched to some kind of gigantic robotic suit. Kaito stared so hard his eyes hurt. He'd never seen anything like that before. It was amazing, it was badass, it was...piloted by Monodam?  
As the view zoomed in, Kaito could see that every mech was driven by a monokuma. As the tape played, Kaito watched as Monodam's mech broke out of the marching formation, charging at intense speeds and tearing into whatever they were fighting.   
"The unit showed an amazing ability to be impacted by emotional trauma, changing its original programming and goals. A climax was reached when the unit murdered its abuser in cold blood. It proceeded to take over its entire squad, unit and human alike. It preached a desire for everyone to get along, so that no one would ever be hurt again. However, should anyone show signs of bullying to him or each other,"  
The screen showed Monodam shoving a different unit under a piece of rubble as it fell.  
"It would kill them. It existed in this tyrannical environment for three months, until it was finally defeated and captured by a recovery team. The unit was deemed faulty, and sentenced to ultimate destruction and recycling of its parts. However, I requested to do an analysis on its brain beforehand, wondering what kind of information could be gained from its transformation. I was surprised as it told me its tale, and I ultimately sympathized. And so I wondered, if units like this could be hurt from emotional experiences, could it heal as well? I asked the unit if it would make a choice. A choice between being scrapped, or having an opportunity to help people get along. It chose the latter, obviously."  
The holoscreen blinked off, only leaving the recorded voice.   
"So I sent it to you, knowing that its desire for everyone to get along would help bring you back together after the events of a certain move by the others. Treat it, and each other as friends. Failure to do so may end in your untimely, messy deaths."  
"What!?" Tenko yelled.   
"I truly wish I could provide more support. I wish you all the best of luck." with a final click, the recording shut off. 

"So." Kaito said slowly. "We either have a friend on the ground, or a crazy nut case who thought it would be fun to send a crazy robot up here with us."  
"Gonta see no problems. Being friends is good!" Gonta said cheerfully. He turned to Monodam smiling. "Gonta's name is Gonta! It is nice to meet you! Gonta will be friend."  
The robot's eyes seemed to sparkle. "Yes-We-Will-Get-Along-Wonderfully."  
"Wait, hold on, we're just letting this thing roam around now?" Rantaro asked, as Monodam started to make its way out of the room.   
"I mean, do you want to try to put it back in the box?" Kaito asked.   
"Honestly, I'm inclined to believe it." Maki said slowly. "I've never seen a monokuma unit remotely care about anything other than itself. If this one really cares about people getting along, it might just be different."  
Kaito sighed. "Ok, you guys are gonna think I'm nuts, but I'm going back to my old habits. I'm gonna believe that this guy was really sent up here to help us, and that we have at least one ally back on earth."  
"Me too." Rantaro said. "Gonta seems to like it." The others turned to see Gonta walking away with Monodam, holding its hand. Blinky joined the two, walking on the other side of Gonta.  
"Damn, this looks like the start of a bad sci-fi fairy tale." Kokichi commented.   
"Let's hope it has a good ending." Shuichi said softly. 

Monodam had scared the hell out of Kaito at least ten times already. The bear was quiet, he moved so silently. Kaito would suddenly turn around and see Monodam staring at him. They would look at each other for a moment, before Monodam would turn and leave. Despite being relatively talkative earlier, Monodam had lapsed into silence, only speaking when directly asked a question. Kaito wasn't sure if this was a good or bad sign.  
The others seemed weary around Monodam as well. Honestly, the only one comfortable with it was Gonta.   
"I didn't know I could scream like that." Rantaro said, dropping into the co-pilot's chair next to Kaito in the cockpit. "That little green ninja came out of nowhere, jeez, I think I lost years off my life."  
"Seriously." Kaito laughed. "We've only had it around for three hours, and it's already slowly killing us."  
"Who do you think sent it?" Rantaro asked, crossing his arms.   
"Honestly, I have no idea." Kaito sighed. "I guess we should test it or something, to make sure its really on our side."  
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Now we just gotta find-" Both swiveled around in their chairs, to see Monodam standing silently behind them.   
"JESUS!" Kaito yelled. "I, uh, I mean, hey buddy!" he tried to smile. He didn't want Monodam thinking he didn't want to get along. "We were just talking about you."  
"I-Hope-You-Were-Only-Saying-Nice-Things. Talking-Behind-People's-Backs-Does-Not-Make-It-Easy-To-Get-Along."   
"Nah, we just wanted to ask you something." Rantaro said, calm as always. "You know, friends like to get to know each other."  
"That-Is-True." Monodam turned to Kaito expectantly, making the astronaut sweat. Crap, did he have to come up with something on the spot now? Kaito fumbled with the dashboard before lifting up one of the comm pieces.   
"If I made a call to the earth people, that would um, make it harder for people to get along." Kaito said, wondering where the hell he was going with this. "I, um, could do some very not nice things."  
"That-Comm-Line-Makes-It-Hard-To-Get-Along?" Monodam asked.   
"Yeah, it sure do-" Kaito yelped as Monodam shot forward, grasping the comm line firmly. It yanked hard, ripping it from the dashboard. Kaito thought he couldn't get any more shocked. Then Monodam opened its mouth and swallowed the comm line.   
"Holy..." Rantaro said weakly.   
"Did it just..." Kaito trailed off.   
"There. Now-We-Can-All-Get-Along." Monodam said. "What-Was-Your-Question?"  
"What's your favorite color? Mine's purple." Kaito said in a nervous, high pitched voice. This was it, this was the end.   
Monodam looked at Kaito, before looking around, then looking down at itself. "My-Favorite-Color-Is...Maroon."  
"Wha-I mean, that's cool. That's really cool." Kaito said, giving Monodam a thumbs up.   
Monodam turned to Rantaro expectantly. "What-Is-Your-Favorite-Color?"

"Hey, quick question, why did robo-bear magically appear and ask me my favorite color?" Miu asked, as she stormed into the cockpit a little while later.   
"He wants to get to know us." Kaito said, still mildly shell-shocked over the fact that Monodam had eaten a comm line.  
"Ok then." Miu said, crossing her arms.   
"Did you need something?" Kaito asked.   
"Yeah, uh, you didn't, uh, look at any more of the secrets did you?" Miu asked quickly, gluing her eyes to the floor.   
"No, I haven't." Kaito said. "But we're going to have to eventually."  
"No!" Miu yelled. "We can't. I see the way people look at Angie and Kiyo now, I don't want them to look at me that way!"   
"They won't do that-"  
"You can't promise that." Miu said sharply. "You can't promise anything. Face it, as long as those secrets are around, we're never gonna all get along."  
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaito saw a metallic green form retreat into the shadows...Or maybe it was his imagination. God, he hoped it was his imagination. 

The rest of the day passed smoothly, with the exception of Monodam bursting into the lounge, screeching that it was now eight pm, before leaving like nothing had happened. Kirumi had theorized that Monodam still retained some of his previous functions, such as telling time. This only had happened at eight pm thus far, and after the first time, Kaito was about ready to schedule nightly heart attacks at that hour.   
Things had calmed down after that thankfully, and Kaito had settled into bed, more than ready to sleep. The day had been a long one. Secrets, murder attempts, and now a robot bear. It couldn't get any stranger than this surely...  
A bear shaped shadow stood in the doorway. Kaito screamed, toppling off of the bed.   
"Are-You-Awake?"  
"No." Kaito said sarcastically, before remembering who he was dealing with. "I mean yes! What's up?"  
Wordlessly, Monodam held out its hands. In it were...Medicine patches?   
"Are these...for me?" Kaito asked, picking them up. He'd been running low, jeez, these could practically save his life. "How did you know I needed them?"  
"Friends-Keep-Each-Other's-Secrets." Monodam said. "I-Know-Lots-Of-Things-Too. It-Came-In-Handy-Didn't-It? Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha." Kaito was a little unsettled by the toneless laugh, but the effort was clearly there. He felt his feelings towards his new crewmate soften slightly.   
"Thanks man, I really owe you one." Kaito said. He was having trouble expressing his gratitude to a robot bear. He never saw himself reaching this point in life.   
"What-Are-Friends-For? Now-Sleep. Bedtime-Ursine." Monodam patted Kaito on the head, before exiting the room.   
Kaito shook his head, smiling. He pressed one of the new med patches against his chest, sighing with relief as the pain in his chest receded. Yeah, maybe Monodam wasn't so bad after all...

"RISE-AND-SHINE-URSINE! IT-IS-NOW-EIGHT-AM" For the second time, Kaito rolled out of bed with a scream. He jumped to his feet, looking around for Monodam. The realization hit him. Monodam had somehow gotten onto the comms.   
"THIS-IS-AN-ANNOUNCEMENT." A screen in the corner of Kaito's room clicked on, showing Monodam sitting in the pilot's chair.   
Kaito stood there, waiting for the announcement...and got nothing. In the corner of the screen, he could see what appeared to be Gonta's leg.   
"Don't be scared! Gonta right here! You can do it!" Kaito heard Gonta say.   
"Ok. I-Have-Never-Made-An-Announcement-Before." Monodam said, touching its paws together. It appeared to be blushing.   
"Gonta thinks you can do anything you want to." Gonta said brightly. "You can do it!"  
Monodam faced the camera, confidence seemingly restored. "Please-Report-To-The-Lounge-At-Ten-Am-Sharp. We-Will-Then-Begin-All-Getting-Along. That-Is-All." Monodam awkwardly shuffled off camera. Kaito could hear it speaking to Gonta.   
"Was-That-Alright?"  
"Yes! Gonta think that's the best announcement Gonta ever heard!"   
"Oh-Yay."  
The screen finally clicked off, leaving Kaito standing in his room, confused. After making himself somewhat presentable, he exited the room, running into a very angry Maki.  
"Does he want to die?" She growled.   
"Woah! Uh, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Kaito said.   
"I'm not a morning person." Maki shot Kaito another deadly glare, before stalking off. Kaito turned and nearly jumped out of his skin. Monodam was standing in front of him.  
"I-Made-An-Announcement." Monodam said, still appearing to blush.   
"Yeah I heard! It was pretty badass." Kaito said, giving him another thumbs up.   
"I-Am-Glad-You-Liked-It." Monodam said. It suddenly motioned for Kaito to follow it down a hallway, stopping when they were alone. Kaito thought about what it would be like to be mugged by a robo-bear.   
"Please-Report-Any-Changes-In-Health-Condition-To-Me." Monodam said. "You-Cannot-Get-Along-If-You-Have-Died-From-An-Alien-Virus."  
"That's...a solid point." Kaito said. "Yeah, solid point."  
"I-Am-Equipped-With-Defibrillators." Monodam said, rubbing its paws together. Kaito could hear the whine of electricity charging up. "So-Let-Me-Know-If-You-Go-Into-Cardiac-Arrest."  
"Uh, yeah, will do." Kaito said nervously, looking at Monodam's now crackling paws. "You can, um, put those away."  
Thankfully Monodam obliged. "I-Will-See-You-At-Ten-Am."   
"What are we doing at ten?" Kaito asked, as Monodam turned to leave.   
"It-Is-A-Surprise."   
Well, Kaito hoped it was a good one. 

"So, what the hell warranted being woken up?" Miu growled as soon as everyone had gathered in the lounge. It seemed Maki wasn't the only non morning person in the group.   
"Please-Get-Comfortable. I-Have-Brought-Restraints." Monodam held up a roll of ductape.   
Ok, Kaito didn't like where this was going. "Wait, woah, why would we need restraints."  
Monodam's holoscreen clicked back on. "We-Cannot-Get-Along-If-We-Attack-Each-Other-While-I-Am-Reading."  
"Reading what?" Kaito asked. Gonta taped himself to his seat. "Gonta wait, you don't have to do that-"  
"Your-Secrets."   
That was met with outrage. Kaito couldn't even make out who was saying what over all the protesting. "EVERYONE CHILL!" He yelled. "Why are you doing that?"  
"Because-She-Said-It-Earlier." Monodam said, pointing to Miu. "We-Cannot-Get-Along-While-Your-Secrets-Are-Secrets. Now-Please-Sit-Down-Or-I-Tape-You. You-Bastards."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I add monodam? Hear me out, I ended up falling in love with him, because all he really wanted was for everyone to get along...T^T  
> Anyways, I wanted to give him a chance to shine here, so I hope that's ok XD  
> Anyways, monodam or not, I hope you enjoyed reading. As always I love to hear feedback, if you wanna write some I guess XD  
> That's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a new update. Thank you all for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a wonderful day!!


	19. Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for mentions of M*rder, s*xual ass*ult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I'm sorry, I know it's been a long while since I updated. Thank you so much for the continued support. It gives me the motivation to keep going! Updates might be a little farther apart, but I am still working. So thank you for your patience! I hope you enjoy!

Kaito could almost feel the tension in the room pressing against him. Everyone had been seated after the threat of the tape. They were all seated in different poses, but it was obvious that no one was comfortable.   
Monodam seemed entirely calm. Well, his facial expression didn't really change, but he seemed fairly at ease with the situation. Honestly, despite the tension and knot of nerves in his stomach, Kaito agreed that this was the best way to go. They needed to get everything out into the open before they could proceed with anything.   
His crewmates were looking a little worse for wear. They were most likely still suffering from the end symptoms of their illnesses, and the stress clearly wasn't helping anything. Kaito hoped that after this, things could start getting back to normal. Well, as normal as a crew of Ultimates fighting a space invasion could be.   
"Who-Would-Like-To-Go-First?" Monodam asked in his eerily monotone voice. "Are-There-Any-Volunteers?"  
"You're one hell of a hypocrite, you know that right?" Miu spat. "All that talk about getting along or whatever, and then you hold us against our will?!"  
"I-Am-Sorry. I-Am-Doing-This-So-We-All-Get-Along." Monodam said. "Are-You-Volunteering-To-Go-First?"   
"Like hell I am!" Miu yelled. "Literally no one is going to get along with you after this, you know that?"  
Kaito saw he might have to retract his previous statement about Monodam not being expressive. Now somehow, he just looked sad.   
"That-Is-Alright-I-Suppose. I-Want-You-All-To-Get-Along. With-Or-Without-Me." With that statement it became clear that Monodam was going to stop at nothing to achieve his goal. The robotic bear held an amount of determination that Kaito rarely saw even among humans. Strangely enough, he found himself starting to respect their apparent stowaway.  
"If-No-One-Volunteers-I-Will-Choose-For-Us." Monodam said. "I-Have-Organized-A-Random-Selection-Program-So-The-Process-Is-Fair."  
"How kind of you." Kaito heard Tenko mumble.   
"What-Was-That? Did-Someone-Volunteer?"  
Tenko looked petrified. Whatever her secret was, it clearly made her visibly terrified.   
"I can go first." Rantaro said. "I mean, unless someone has a problem with that." Clearly no one had a problem with that.   
"Wonderful. Let-Us-Get-Started." Rantaro was too far away for Kaito to talk to. Kaito knew that he already knew Rantaro's secret, but the Ultimate Adventurer still looked nervous.  
A compartment in Monodam's chest opened, revealing a smaller datapad with a different case. He withdrew it, before the compartment slid closed.   
"What the fuck!" Miu yelled.   
"Why does he get a datapad? I didn't get one." Kiibo muttered.   
"This-Is-Not-A-Datapad. This-Is-A-Kubs-Pad." Monodam said, holding out his apparent kubs pad. "It-Is-Similar-To-Your-Datapads-With-Some-Slight-Differences."  
"Great." Miu said. "So what are we gonna do with it-" Monodam pressed a button on the pad, quieting Miu. A clear male voice began to play. Kaito recognized it as the same voice from the earlier Monodam recording.

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer. Due to a series of traumatic incidents in his home life, twelve to be exact, Amami volunteered at the TCSC for the fifty second space mission."

"Wait, this is the fifty third." Kiibo said.   
"Wow, you can count." Kokichi said, rolling his eyes.   
"Gonta can count to fifteen." Gonta said, still looking strangely cheerful for the situation.   
"Please-Be-Quiet-Until-The-Recording-Is-Finished-You-Bastards." Monodam said, increasing the volume. 

"Amami easily passed the training period for this mission due to his natural abilities from his ultimate talent. He was placed in charge of the fifty second mission, and sent to a small outpost where the Swarm seemed to be holding certain human prisoners. Amami chose to go against orders, setting out on his own to look for a conclusion to the previous twelve incidents. Not only did he find nothing, all members of his crew were lost without his guidance, and ultimately met their ends. Amami is sometimes referred to as the Ultimate Survivor in our files, due to the fact that he survived the mission. While he does carry guilt, he would make the same choice again."

"You said you'd never been to space before." Kaede said, looking surprisingly hurt.   
"I lied." Rantaro kept his eyes away from the rest of the crew.   
"So you're just gonna sacrifice us for whatever the hell it is you lost?" Miu snapped. "Just get over it."  
"I CAN'T!"   
Kaito along with the rest of the group jumped. He didn't think any of them had ever heard Rantaro raise his voice, much less yell. Rantaro was facing the group, tears brimming in his eyes.  
"They're my sisters. All twelve were taken, and it was my fault. I shouldn't have done what I did. But yeah, I'll do it again. So maybe you shouldn't trust me as much as you do." Rantaro shifted his body so it was facing away from the others. "You can look somewhere else. I don't have anything else to say."  
The fact that Kaito was starting to regret this was an understatement. This had been a shit idea. He risked a glance at Kokichi. To no one's surprise Kokichi seemed indifferent, or even like he was enjoying this. Kaito wondered if that was really how he felt.   
"Wonderful. Who-Would-Like-To-Go-Next?" Monodam asked, clapping his metal paws together, like this was show and tell. "Any-Volunteers?"  
"I can go next." Kaede said softly. "Unless someone else wants to go."  
Of course, no one else did.  
"Wonderful. Thank-You-For-Volunteering." Monodam said, tapping on his kubs pad. Before long, a second recording featuring the same voice was played. 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. From a young age, Akamatsu showed signs of musical prodigy, and was thus pushed to constantly practice and perform, eventually winning the title of Ultimate. However, this did not come to pass smoothly."

Kaito thought he saw tears in Kaede's eyes. 

"The title of Ultimate Pianist nearly went to someone else, a sort of rival of Akamatsu's so to say. Perhaps it was due to the way that Akamatsu was raised, perhaps it was something she had inside her all along. Either way, what happened happened. Akamatsu told her rival to meet her on top of the school building to talk. What started as a friendly conversation of well wishes turned bitter as Akamatsu finally faced the possibility of being second best in her life's pursuits. She was unwilling to leave it up to chance. She pushed her rival down the long flight of stairs leading to where they were. The rival's neck was broken, and she was subsequently dead before she reached the bottom. Akamatsu left the body where it was, and performed for a judge not five minutes later, winning the Ultimate title. She showed no signs of remorse. The death was deemed an accident, but there were a few people who saw the truth. And now the listeners of this recording do too." The tape clicked off. 

Kaito felt floored. Kaede? Sweet, motivational, inspiring Kaede? A killer out of jealousy? He wasn't the only one having trouble processing this new development. Almost everyone's eyes were wide with shock.   
"I didn't mean for her to die...I was hoping she'd break her wrist...I don't know why I did it...I'm sorry..."  
"How many fucking killers are in this room!" Miu yelled.   
"Kaede hurt someone?" Gonta asked, eyes wide.   
"I'm so sorry." Tears were falling freely down Kaede's cheeks. "I'm so so sorry." No one said anything, leaving her to slump forward, burying her face in her hands.   
"Wonderful. Who-Would-Like-To-Go-Next?" Monodam asked. "If-I-Am-Correct, Five-People-Shared-Their-Secrets-Previous-To-This-Encounter. This-Means-A-Total-Of-Seven-People-Have-Gone, Leaving-Nine-Remaining."  
Kaito had no luck catching Kaede's eye either. He wanted to pull both her and Rantaro aside, assure them that it was ok, that he didn't see them differently. He still believed in them...but did the others?  
Everyone was looking less and less enthused than they already were to share. The first two were clearly in shambles, and no one wanted to be the next to go down. If Kaito hadn't already gone, he would have volunteered. But to his surprise, someone else did.   
"U-um, I can go now." Shuichi said softly. Kaito would have jumped up and hugged him if it was the right time and place. His sidekick had improved so much, and had gone a long way in that single moment.   
"Wonderful. Thank-You." Monodam said, clicking on another recording. "Let-Us-Begin." Once again, a recording began to play. 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective. Saihara discovered his talent helping his uncle (redacted) who ran a detective agency in (redacted). Saihara began to solve small cases, using his natural abilities and bringing more buisness and attention to the agency. He was not interested in the attention, he was only interested in solving as many cases as possible, trying to compare to his idol, a previous Ultimate Detective. Saihara ended up assisting with a more serious murder case, managing to apprehend the killer, leading to his lifelong sentencing. However, what he didn't know was that the killer murdered someone who was a villain himself. A justice seeker that went down the wrong path. The public was furious, believing that the man deserved to be free, or that Saihara should have let the case go col. The public rejected him, turning Saihara into a shell of his former self. He remained hated up until the start of this mission, for turning stones that should have been left unturned. He has not sought the truth ever since." The recording ended. 

This was an interesting one. Kaito wasn't sure what he would have done had he been a part of the public mentioned in the recording. He would have wanted revenge on the victim, but killing might have been too far...  
It was complicated. Damn, and Shuichi had to carry that around on his shoulders. No wonder he was so timid. It was a lot for anyone to handle, much less a novice detective.   
"At least he didn't kill anyone." Kaito heard Tenko say quietly. Shuichi didn't look as disrought as some of the others, but he seemed to have shrunken back into himself even more than normal. It seemed like no one would be getting off easy in this ordeal. He wondered who the crueler audience was. The listeners, or the secret holder themself.   
"We-Are-Halfway-Complete." Monodam said, looking proud despite his robotic exterior. "I-Am-Happy-You-Bastards-Are-Opening-Your-Hearts. Who-Would-Like-To-Go-Next?"  
It seemed that they had finally reached the point where no one else was willing to volunteer. Monodam waited patiently for two minutes before speaking. "Very-Well. I-Will-Select-At-Random. One-Moment-Please." A series of metallic clicks sounded from Monodam's small green body.  
"That moment when a bear has cooler functions than you." Kokichi said, shooting a look at Kiibo. Kiibo glared back at him, which Kaito took to be improvement on the robot's behalf.  
"Ms. Chabashira-You-Will-Go-Next." Monodam said, nodding.   
"W-wait, hold on. That's gotta be rigged!" Tenko paled several shades while shaking visibly. "Hold on!"  
Monodam didn't seem interested in holding on. Another recording started playing. 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master. Chabashira was trained under one teacher for the entirety of her life. However, a severe misunderstanding would lead to her ultimate destruction. A statement about males would lead to Chabashira's belief that all males are degenerates, influencing her attitude to them from then on out. She also developed the belief that touching males directly would weaken her powers. Her haughty attitude towards males attracted the wrong kind of attention, leading to a group of male students her age to-"

The voice of the recording broke off. The reader sounded like he was regretting reading it aloud. Kaito had a sick feeling that he knew where this was going. 

"Well, they confirmed her beliefs, cementing her viewpoints, and bringing her greatest weakness into reality. It is true that Chabashira is weakened when touching a male, but not in the way she claims. In reality, the response is one of trauma." the reader sighed heavily at the end, before the recording clicked off.

"What the hell?" Kaito said quietly. "What kind of people would want to expose that..."  
Tenko looked shell shocked, frozen in place where she was seated. Everyone waited for her reaction, but it never came. She'd been literally stunned into silence.   
"I-Will-Randomly-Choose-The-Next-One." Monodam said. Even he seemed to grasp how severe things were becoming. "Mr. Gokuhara. You-Are-Next."  
"But Gonta no have secrets." Gonta said, looking genuinely confused. "Gentlemen don't keep secrets, and Gonta gentleman."  
So Gonta's secret was a secret to him as well? How was that fair? Then again, fair hadn't been a factor of anything recently.   
"I-Only-Know-What-I-Have-Been-Given. And-I-Have-Been-Given-An-Auditory-Copy-Of-Your-Secret. So-It-Must-Exist." Monodam said. He gave Tenko an almost regretful look before starting the next recording.

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Gonta Gokuhara, the Ultimate Entomologist. Those who have met Gokuhara have clearly made note of the fact that Gokuhara is extremely attached to what he calls "his forest family", stating that they are even the driving force on his quest to become a gentleman. This is true. Gokuhara was raised by nature itself, left at a young age to most likely die. However, his origins are not even know to Gokuhara himself. Gokuhara was the offspring of two wealthy business tycoons. He did not meet their standards for a worthy heir. He was deemed ugly at birth, too ugly for life. And thus an employee was ordered to...dispose of him. The employee could not bring himself to do it, leaving the infant in the woods surrounding the city limits. Strangely enough, the baby was found by a pack of wolves before meeting his end through starvation or cold. A female adopted him as her own, and Gokuhara lived peacefully for fourteen years, before being discovered, being given an education, and an ultimate title. While Gokuhara lives in a world of love and trust, his origins are nothing of the sort. He was given up out of vanity and hatred, and he didn't even know. Until now." Once again, the recording ended. 

"Gonta have other parents?" Gonta asked, looking shocked. "Human parents?"  
"Where the hell did you think you came from!?" Miu exclaimed.   
"Wolf mother." Gonta said, like this was obvious. "But...maybe not. Gonta had other parents." His eyes welled with tears. "And they don't want Gonta. Gonta not good enough. They got rid of Gonta..."  
Watching a male bigger than himself cry was something Kaito had not foreseen witnessing. Honestly, it was heartbreaking. However, to his surprise, Gonta quieted after a moment.   
"Gonta still sad...but Gonta still have good family. Forest family...and you." He looked around at the others, glasses still stained with tears.   
The others refused to make eye contact with anyone. That almost made it more tragic than it already was. Kaito didn't think his heart could hurt this much.   
"I-Will-Continue-With-The-Random-Selection." Monodam reported. Even he seemed to be struggling with the emotional toll of what was going on. "Mr. Ouma, You-Have-Been-Selected."  
Kokichi looked strangely composed, almost happy. "Oh boy, let's see what kind of shit show this is! Ten bucks says they don't actually have any information on me!"  
"Of course that asshole gets off scot-free." Miu grumbled before the recording started. 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme leader."

"Hey! They got my title right!" Kokichi said, grinning.   
"Wonderful." Monodam said, clearly missing the sarcasm. 

"Ouma has gone to great lengths to conceal his past, and it's debatable if Kokichi Ouma is even his real name. However, one detail is exceedingly clear. He is a compulsive liar who lies not out of pleasure, but because he can't help it. Along with several other crippling mental health issues, Ouma is considered to be highly unstable, but not dangerous. His secret is quite simple. Everything about his personality is a fabrication, a mask to hide the truth of who he is. Nothing. A person who is worth nothing, has accomplished nothing, and means nothing. A damaged shell. Everything else is a lie." 

It was shorter than the other recordings, but it was just as impactful than the others. For the first time, Kokichi seemed to be caught off guard, face expressionless save for his widened eyes. The ground crew had finally caught him unawares. Due to the fact that he was sitting right next to Kaito, Kaito was finally able to reach out to someone.   
"Are you ok?" he asked quietly.   
"Checkmate." Kokichi muttered. "That was a good play on their part..."  
Kaito was stunned. They'd seriously made an impact on Kokichi even. Things were getting worse by the second. And he had done this. Kaito had set this in motion. It didn't matter how he looked at it, the current situation was most definitely his fault.   
"Five-More." Monodam spoke up. "You-Are-Doing-Very-Well. For-What-It-Is-Worth-I-Am-Sorry-Things-Must-Be-Done-This-Way."  
"It's ok." Kaito said, surprising himself. "It needs to be done."  
"On that we can agree." Rantaro said, speaking for the first time in a while. Kaede nodded silently.   
"Then-We-Will-Continue." Monodam said. "I-Will-Select-Who-Goes-Next-Once-More. One-Moment-Please." More beeping noises sounded. "Ms. Shirogane, You-Are-Next."  
"This is plain terrifying." Tsumugi said shakily. "Plain terrifying." 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer. Shirogane...honestly hasn't accomplished anything. She's an average person, so average that it's almost abnormal. She blends into the background seamlessly, only being seen when she takes on the appearance of someone else. For a brief time, Shirogane became determined to be seen, resulting in a short career as a more...sexual cosplayer, taking and selling photographs of that nature." Somehow it was an even shorter recording than Kokichi's.

"That's it?" Miu asked, raising an eyebrow.   
Tsumugi's face was red, and she appeared to be in physical pain. "I didn't want to become that kind of cosplayer, cosplay should be about honoring the character, not degrading them!"  
"I think you're overreacting about this." Himiko muttered.   
"Well, it technically did what it was supposed to. It made a mark on her." Ryoma said, shrugging.   
"It's ok. Humans do all kinds of cringey things." Kiibo said.   
"What is a cringey?" Gonta asked.   
It was a ridiculous conversation, but it was a conversation that sparked hope in Kaito. They could still talk to each other. There was still hope. This proved that there was still some kind of connection between the crew.   
"We-Are-Almost-There." Monodam said. "I-Promise."  
"Good." Kaede said, sounding slightly stronger than she had. "Let's keep going."  
"Ms. Tojo." Monodam said, after another moment of beeping. "It-Is-Your-Turn."  
"Very well." Kirumi said, dipping her head. "If you request me to allow my secret to be exposed, then it will be fulfilled. Please begin." She said, turning to Monodam, who obliged. 

"This is a recording of one of the secret files for Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate maid. Tojo is clearly highly skilled in many things, making her an incredibly capable person. It was taken notice of in higher societies, leading to her eventual employment by the Prime Minister of Japan. What started as basic attending and cleaning evolved into more and more serious duties, until Tojo had taken on the majority of the Prime Minister's duties herself. She was tasked with running the country to the best of her ability behind the scenes, to which she accepted. Her only desire was to serve, not holding any reservations about the Prime Minister's plan to take credit for work he was not doing. Tojo is highly intelligent, highly organized and highly determined to succeed. This makes her the most effective leader the nation has ever had, making a large impact on the United Committee of all remaining countries after the initial invasion. Tojo was asked to make one final sacrifice for her country, going on this mission. Naturally, she accepted, promising to return to reclaim her role as Prime Minister. Her request is held over anything else, meaning she is willing to do anything to return alive, even at the cost of her crewmates." The recording ended. 

Kaito's mouth had fallen open. "What?! You're the Prime Minister?!"  
"That has to be the most out there secret yet." Kokichi chimed in. "Oh well, guess we've reached a new peak of weirdness."  
"Yes, it is true." Kirumi said. "Unlike some of the other secrets which were designed to turn us against each other, or damage the recipient, everything in mine is true. Including the last statement."  
Kaito nodded slowly. It seemed that he would have to be a lot more careful around Kirumi. In the grand scheme of things, her secret sunk in fairly easily. It honestly made a lot of sense. She seemed like the perfect person for the job with her personality and various skills.   
"Three-Remaining." Monodam. "I-Will-Select-  
He never got a chance to finish. Something struck the ship, causing it to rattle violently. Kaito was thrown to the ground, jaw smashing against the metallic floor painfully.  
They were being attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it!! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. Hopefully I'll be back before long with a new chapter. As always, thank you for your support, and thank you again for the amazing comments. I'll see you when I see you! I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	20. Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw for minor gore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!! Sorry for the late-ish update. I have a lot going on right now, but I did it! Here's chapter 20!! Thanks so much for the continued support. It seriously means the world to me. Anyways, that's really all I have to say, so I hope you enjoy the chapter!!!

Kaito felt himself get flung out of his seat, he braced himself to hit the hard floor-  
He hit something soft instead.   
He looked down to see that he was laying directly on top of Maki. "Uh...what's up?" He asked awkwardly.   
Maki's face was as read as her shirt. "Do you want to die?" she snapped, rolling over and dumping him on the floor.   
"It was an accident!" Kaito protested, genuinely fearing for his life. As if to back up his argument, the ship shuddered again.   
"Well-This-Is-Not-Good." Monodam commented. He had managed to grip onto the wall and floor, stabilizing himself as members of the crew stumbled and staggered.   
"NO SHIT!" Miu yelled, clinging to the couch as the ship tilted dangerously. "THE FUCK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?"  
"Get to weapons!" Kaito yelled, carefully getting to his feet. "Maki, back weapons. Rantaro, I need you as a co pilot. Kiibo, Kokichi, get on comms. See if there's any alien chatter. Kirumi, go with them just in case. Everyone else hold on!"   
"Why are we listening to you!" Tenko yelled. "You faked your exam! You probably don't know anything about space!"  
Kaito felt his chest swell with rage. "I FAKED MY CREDENTIALS! NOT MY TEST ANSWERS! NOW DO YOU WANNA LISTEN OR DO YOU WANNA DIE?!"  
"That's my line." Maki mumbled. Tenko's face reddened and she looked at the ground, sheepish.  
"S-Sorry-"  
"Don't worry about it." Kaito said. "Everyone move! Well, not everyone, the people I told to move!"  
"Gonta has tape." Gonta said, taping Kaede down. "Now friends will be safe."  
"That's actually a great idea!" Kaito said. "Keep doing that. Rantaro, Miu, to the cockpit!"   
"How-May-I-Be-Of-Assistance?" Monodam asked, picking up Himiko with an extended arm and placing her back on the couch.   
"You can stay on specs in the cockpit. See if there's any radiation or other bad stuff."  
"Bad stuff? You don't sound very professional." Miu snapped. Kaito was about ready to pick up and throw the nearest object at her. That object happened to be Monodam.  
"Hey, can we argue when we're not in an emergency state?" Rantaro asked, already making his way forward.   
"Good point." Kaito said. He started to follow, but was sent tumbling backwards as the ship tilted again. Ok, so moving in general was going to be harder than he thought.   
"Allow-Me." Monodam said, scooping him, Rantaro, and Miu up with surprising strength. His feet..paws? Kaito wasn't sure, but the point was two wheels with traction descended from beneath them, sending them rolling into the cockpit.   
"That's useful." Kaito said, surprised.   
"I-Hope-All-Of-My-Functions-Are-Useful." Monodam said, placing them all in seats before wheeling over to the specs system.   
"Alright, let's see what we got here." Kaito said, fingers flying across the dashboard. "I need eyes on whatever's on us. God I hope the cameras are intact-What the..." The cameras were indeed functional, but one in particular was showing a brilliant yellow screen. Kaito clicked buttons, but the image didn't clear.   
"What's up?" Rantaro asked, leaning over to look.  
"Good question." Kaito said. "It says the camera's working, but it's showing that. Maybe it's glitching? But wouldn't the system say something?"  
"Uhh...Kaito?" Rantaro said slowly. "You might wanna look again." Kaito turned back to see the yellow roll slightly to reveal a dark, black center. Kaito blinked at it. It blinked back.   
"Holy shit!" Kaito yelled, jumping.   
"Gonta think we have problem!" Gonta yelled, running into the cockpit, a whimpering Blinky at his heels. "Blinky acting like he see predator."  
"Gonta what are you doing?!" Kaito yelled. "Get to safety...wait what did you say?"  
Gonta was now focused on something else. "Eye." He said, pointing to the camera screen. "Gonta think that is predator."  
"That...is not good." Rantaro said, paling. Suddenly the comms crackled, Maki's voice playing into the room.   
"Uhh...guys? I'm at the back and...there's something out here. It looks like a tail? It's not a ship...I think-"  
"It's alive." Kaito said. The yellow eye jerked suddenly, and movement flashed around over half of the cameras.  
"B-b-big" Miu stammered. "It's b-big!"   
As Kaito's dread reached a peak, a massive snakelike head crested the front of the ship, looking into the window. It had three of the bulbous yellow eyes on each side of its head. Spines trailed down the back of its long, thick, serpentine body. Its scales were rough and jagged looking, each a dull colored dagger making up the creature's natural armor. It's mouth was slightly open, too small to contain the massive fangs crammed into it's mouth. It's tail ended in a scorpion-like point.  
"Space snake." Rantaro said, in a surprisingly calm voice. However, his eyes were wide, body trembling slightly.  
"Snakes eat bugs." Gonta supplied, stroking Blinky, trying to calm the alien down.   
"I think it can eat us." Kaito said shakily. The snake creature blinked at them again, before a long, pink, slimy tongue dropped out of its mouth, dragging across the front window.  
"Ewww." Miu whimpered.   
The snake thing seemed to decide that it liked the taste of the ship, because its mouth opened wider, giving the three an excellent view down it's black, dripping throat. Kaito stared into the abyss in horrified awe."  
"KAITO!" Rantaro yelled, yanking him back into action. Kaito yanked the thrusters, sending the ship speeding backwards milliseconds before the snake lunged, jaws snapping shut inches away from the ship.  
"HOLD ON!" Kaito roared, yanking controls and shooting upwards. Alarms beeped, something was obstructing his path on almost all sides. Kaito's mind was spinning, what was blocking the way-  
"I-Have-Unfortunate-New." Monodam said. "The-Body-Of-The-Creature-Seems-To-Be-Surrounding-Us. It-Is-Blocking-Our-Escape."  
"How big is this thing!? Miu yelled.   
"Bigger than ship." Gonta said. "Apex predator." he was still standing in the middle of the cockpit.   
"Is it some kind of attack dog? Or do these things just live here naturally?!" Miu shrieked.   
"It's practically swimming through space." Rantaro said, eyes wide. "It doesn't need oxygen to breathe."  
"CAN WE PLEASE NOT DIE!" Miu screamed, hands gripping the weapons controls so tightly that they were white.   
"Shoot it." Kaito said. "Maybe we can blind it, get it to shift a little."  
Miu nodded, firing a volley of shots. Most bounced off of the creature's thick scales, but one struck the corner of an eye.   
The creature shrieked, the most unnatural sound Kaito had ever heard. Thankfully, as he had predicted, the snake recoiled, shifting, giving him an opening to maneuver out of its many coils. He jerked the controls, weaving the ship through the roiling loops of the snake's thick, muscular body.   
"Ok, I'm starting to believe you had some kind of training!" Miu yelled as Kaito pulled off a complex spinning maneuver.   
"We're not out of the woods yet!" Kaito yelled. The snake was starting to recover from the shot, one eye red and irritated. It unleashed another shriek, and began to move towards the ship, it's body shifting once more.   
"Do we shoot it again?" Rantaro asked.   
"No, I can make it." Kaito said, gritting his teeth and focusing on a slowly closing gap in the snake's coils, the stars visible between the space. He sped forward.   
"We're not gonna make it!" Miu yelled as the space rapidly closed.   
"We're gonna make it!" Kaito said, increasing the speed.   
"I don't think we're gonna make it." Rantaro said, as the gap quickly reduced in size.   
"We're gonna make it!" Kaito said again, pushing the ship to its maximum speed.   
"PULL UP! WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT!" Miu screamed as the ship shot closer and closer to the shrinking opening.   
"WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT!" Kaito yelled, willing the ship to stick with its top speed. The ship shot forward like a bullet, nose pointed towards the opening. It had shrunk to a quarter of the size it had been when they had started forward. Kaito felt like he was one with the ship, his heart beat in tune with the rattling of the engines, his heart rate practically matching the speed of the ship, he leaned forward, eyes glued on his goal...  
Miu screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. Rantaro flinched back, awaiting an impact that would never happen, never hit them.   
They made it.   
"HAHA!" Kaito crowed, bringing the ship into a large curve away from the snake, reveling in the open space around them. "TOLD YOU WE'D MAKE IT!"   
Clapping came from behind him. Kaito turned briefly to see Gonta, who had tumbled into a corner, Blinky overturned next to him. He was applauding, smiling widely. "Good job!"   
"Thanks." Kaito said, turning back around before quickly turning back. "Shit, sorry, do you wanna like, sit in a chair or something so you don't get thrown around?"  
Gonta flipped Blinky back onto his feet, and tapped his shell. Blinky began to spray a strange, thick, string like material, sealing him and Gonta to the ground. A strange, insect seatbelt. Gonta patted Blinky again, and gave Kaito a thumbs up.   
"Uh, ok, that works too." Kaito laughed. He glanced over at the two next to him. Rantaro looked abnormally composed, but Kaito could see that he had been gripping his seat hard enough for his nails to leave marks. Miu on the other hand was pale and shaking. "You guys ok?" Kaito laughed.   
"I've been better." Rantaro said shakily, forcing a smile.   
"I've been shaken around so much, I'm pretty sure my ovaries have been flung out of my body." Miu said. "Wait, that didn't make any fucking sense."  
"There are no ovaries back here." Gonta said helpfully, making the three of them chuckle.   
"I-Do-Not-Wish-To-Break-Up-The-Celebration." Monodam spoke up. "But-It-Is-Following-Us." The green ursine robot pointed a round paw at the front screen. Kaito whirled to see the snake charging, it's massive body slowly unfurling to give chase.   
"Shit." Kaito said, zooming away. The good news was that he seemed to be faster than the snake. Its primary method of hunting seemed to revolve around cornering its prey, trapping it within the confines of its body. "Ok, we can do this. You guys ready?"  
"Always." Rantaro said, straightening in his seat. "You tell me what you need done, and I'll do it."  
"Awesome." Kaito said. "Miu?"  
"This girl genius is ready to fry some snake ass." Miu said, gritting her teeth. "B-but, can we not go too fast?"  
"Monodam? Gonta?" Kaito asked.   
"I-Am-Ready." Monodam said.   
"So is Gonta!" Gonta said. Blinky made a chirping sound in agreement.   
"Alright, let's do it!" Kaito was feeling more pumped up now. It had taken a giant space monster trying to eat them, but at least the small group assembled here was starting to act like a team again. "Monodam, patch me through to Maki."  
Monodam didn't respond, only clicking a few buttons. It seemed he prioritized actions over words. Kaito could admire that.   
"Hey." Maki's voice said. "I lost contact. Is everything ok?"  
"Yeah, I pushed this bad boy to max speeds. That must have knocked out the signal for a second." Kaito said. "But we're all good! I'm gonna need you ready to take any clear shots you get. Hopefully you and Miu can provide fire from both sides while I focus on getting us out in one piece."  
"Got it." Maki said. "Have you ever been chased by a space snake before?"  
"Nope, this is a first." Kaito said. "Well, when I was twelve, a snake crawled into my grandparents' backyard. I must have looked at it a certain way, because it charged at me and chased me around."  
"Was it poisonous?"  
"No." Kaito sighed. "It was the harmless, tame pet belonging to one of our neighbors. But to baby Kaito that was terrifying!"   
He thought he heard Maki snicker. "I'm sure."   
"Hey lovebirds! Can we like, save this for later?" Miu snapped. "I don't wanna die listening to the misadventures of baby Kaito!"   
"Hey, I should write a book. That's a great title!" Kaito said.   
"KAITO!" Miu yelled. "The second I get out of this chair, I'm gonna rip your balls off and feed them to Blinky if you don't start being a hero right now!"   
Rantaro seemed amused by this. "We gotta survive first. So what's our first move boss?"  
"Maki, Miu, I'm going to try and fly around it. Its eyes seem to be vulnerable, and I'm guessing the inside of the mouth is too. Hopefully we can wound it enough to really get away. I don't know if we can kill it, but I want to make it hurt." He turned back to Gonta. "Is, um, that ok with you? I know you don't like killing."  
Gonta nodded solemnly. "It very angry. It not like forest family. Forest family is warm and happy, this snake only cold and dark. Not natural. Gonta don't like it."   
"Now that we have the vegan seal of approval, can we please get a move on?" Miu asked, hands on the weapons controls. "Locked and loaded by the way."  
"What is vegan?" Gonta asked.   
"I'll tell you later." Rantaro said. "You and Blinky just hold on, ok?"  
"Starting the first turn now." Kaito said, steering the ship in a wide arc around the snake. "Miu, Maki, M&M, Ooh, I like that. Team M&M, fire whenever you have a clear shot."   
"Got it." Maki said, instantly firing a volley of shots, a few of which hit the creature dead in the eye.  
"Damn!" Rantaro cheered. "Nice shot."  
"Tch, I can do better." Miu sneered. "Kaito, get me in range so I can show you bitches who's boss!"   
"That's the spirit!" Kaito yelled. "Monodam, gimme some energy!"   
"Yippe. Yay. Woo-Hoo." Monodam said in his monotone, robotic voice. "Hooray-For-Killing. We-Love-Violence."   
"Nice." Kaito said grinning. "Miu, now!"   
Miu proved that she was indeed interested in "winning" the snake shooting competition. She managed to hit two eyes, decimating the one Maki had already hit, and wounding another. "FUCK YEAH! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!"   
"Blinding it is a good strategy." Rantaro said, nodding. "Hey, here's something I can do. Gimme a direct line to Kokichi and Kiibo, I don't wanna distract you, but I do wanna check on something."   
"You got it. Monodam, you heard the man!"  
"Patching-Connection-Through-To-The-Headset-In-Front-Of-You." Monodam said, paws clicking.   
"Awesome." Rantaro said. "Hey, yeah, I missed you Kokichi. Yeah, I missed you a whole lot. Mhm, my life isn't complete without you. Hey, focus for me though, ok? Can you and Kiibo mess with the alien sensors? I don't wanna attract any attention while we're dealing with tall, dark and scaly over here."  
"That's a good thought!" Kaito said. "I completely forgot about the hostile alien race who's territory we're in."   
"That's why I'm here. To think about these things." Rantaro laughed. "You keep focusing though. I got this."  
"Maki, now!" Kaito said, looping closer to give her a better range.   
"Hey, you didn't give me any extra help!" Miu whined. "I see how it is."   
"What? There are no favorites on this team." Kaito said firmly.   
"Suuure." Miu said, rolling her eyes and firing her next volley of shots. "See? You didn't get me closer and I didn't hit as much!"   
"It was an accident!" Kaito protested.   
"Guys, chill." Rantaro said.   
"Yeah, I can see how you're an older sibling." Miu muttered. Kaito thought he saw a flash of sadness cross Rantaro's eyes.   
"Ok, I happen to have an opening for Maki, not because I like her more than you!" Kaito said, diving in slightly closer to the snake.  
"Oh it's fiiine. This side-chick doesn't even care." Miu said, huffing.   
Maki landed another direct shot, leaving the group total at four ruined eyes and one injured one. They were getting closer.   
"Alright, I got some good news." Rantaro said. "Kokichi managed to tap into whatever surveillance our insect friends have around this area. They can't see what's going on here for now, but they'll probably send maintenance of some kind out soon, so we gotta be ready to vanish." he paused for a moment, seeming to be listening. "Ok, yeah, fine. I'll tell them-What? No I'm not gonna say that. No, not because I'm too vanilla, because it's gonna sound weird when I say it. Ok, ok, thank you." Rantaro sighed, turning to the others. "Kokichi wanted me to say that we'd all be lost without him, he's the supreme leader of everything, we owe our lives to him, he's fantastic, amazing, and..." Rantaro sighed again. "After this is all over you're all going to have to kiss my ass so much your lips will get chapped. Not me, him. That was a direct quote. Um, yeah." Rantaro said, cheeks reddening slightly. "Moving on..."  
Kaito laughed. "I think you are vanilla."  
"What? No!" Rantaro protested. "I've had small children in my life for the majority of my life. Hell, even swearing is new sometimes."  
"Ok, ok." Kaito laughed. "Point made. Damn." He wasn't able to get either Miu or Maki a clear shot on the next go around. The snake seemed to be catching on, and had started guarding its remaining eyes.   
"Wow, it's learning sort of." Rantaro said. "Its smarter than any snake I've ever seen, and I've seen some damn big ones."  
"Really? Where?"  
"Amazon, anacondas. Safe to say I did not want to go for a swim there." Rantaro laughed.   
"I hate snakes." Miu said. "This whole situation only shows that I was right." A volley of shots flew from Maki's end of the ship, hitting an eye, making the others jump.   
"Woah!" Kaito yelled. "I didn't even say anything."  
"I saw an opening so I took it." Maki said. "Is there something wrong with that?"  
"Nope!" Kaito said brightly. "The sooner we blind this thing, the better!"   
"Get me in close. I wanna get the last one!" Miu said. "Do it or I'll seriously rip your balls off."  
"Ok, ok." Kaito said, fearing for his under parts. "You're gonna get one shot though, so make it count."  
"Trust me, I will." Miu said.   
"Would-Anyone-Like-Me-To-Upload-A-Copy-Of-Their-Will?" Monodam asked.   
"WHAT?" Miu yelled. "I'm not gonna miss you pile of scrap metal!"   
"Ok." Gonta said. "Gonta will give his leaf collection to raccoon friends. And Gonta give snail shell to squirrels. Gonta give cool stick to wolf mother-"  
"GONTA SHUT UP!" Miu yelled, face flushed with anger. "KAITO, DRIVE!"   
Kaito did, swooping in closer than he had dared before. "Ok, now or neve-"  
Miu hit it dead on. "You were saying?" She asked triumphantly, as Kaito pulled back up.   
"Ew, look at that gore." Rantaro said. Green, vicious liquid was streaming from the now empty eye socket. "That was a real good shot."  
"I should get bonus points." Miu said, crossing her arms. "That was a bonus shot, right? Monodam, it totally was, right?!"   
"I-Don't-Believe-Piles-Of-Scrap-Metal-Can-Award-Bonus-Points." Monodam said.   
"Oh great, it has a handle on sarcasm." Miu huffed. "Why can't we have a nice robotic mascot."  
"Kiibo says he's not a mascot." Rantaro reported.   
"Well, tell him I don't care." Miu snapped.   
"She says she knows, and she greatly admires you. She is happy for your existence, and thinks you're wonderful." Rantaro said, before turning the comm line off.   
"Hey!" Miu yelled. "I sure as hell didn't mean that!"   
Kaito's focus was still on the snake. The angered blind creature writhed in pain, hissing and screaming. And then something flared out from the sides of its head. "What the hell?" Kaito asked, leaning forward, trying to see. "What is that?"  
"Fins?" Rantaro asked. "I dunno."  
"Sonar-Sensors." Monodam said. "Think-Of-A-Bat."  
"Well, that's not good." Rantaro said, as the snake shrieked louder than it had before. The ship rattled with unseen soundwaves. The snake's finlike appendages swiveled, and the snake turned in the direction of the ship.   
"Yeah, really not good." Kaito said, pushing buttons and yanking the thrusters as the snake lunged.   
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Miu yelled. "What do we have to do to get rid of this thing?!"  
"Kill it probably." Rantaro said, nails dug back into his seat.   
"Easy for you to say!" Miu yelled. "We might as well be flinging glowsticks at it! I don't think we have the firepower to bring it down, even if we did hit it in the mouth. We need to stand still to use our larger weapons, and they take time to load. We'd never be able to get a shot off before it got to us."  
"Is there anything we have that can get close to tearing a hole in it?" Kaito asked, swerving as the snake narrowly missed the ship.   
"I've been working on a photon cannon, it would shoot a beam ten times stronger then what we're firing now. At close range, we might be able to bring it down."  
"How close is close range?" Kaito asked.   
"Outside of the ship." Miu said, gritting her teeth. "Plus that bastard is heavy. You'd have to be crazy strong to lift it and carry it out. The firing mechanism takes a lot of muscle too." She muttered curses under her breath. "I haven't had time to finish it."  
"I guess we're gonna have to outrun it then." Kaito said. His hands were cramping from gripping the controls. "Here goes nothing-" a high pitched beeping sounded throughout the cockpit, a light blinking on the dashboard. "Oh come on! What the hell is that?!" Kaito protested.   
"A hatch opened." Rantaro said in surprise. "From the inside. Someone's going out."  
"What?!" Kaito asked. "Maki, I swear to god-"  
"No, I'm here." Maki said. "Oh shit."  
"What?" Kaito asked.   
"I saw Blinky scuttle by, carrying a spacewalk suit in his pincers."  
Kaito whirled around. Gonta was gone. "GET ME THROUGH TO THE SPACELOCK!" Monodam quickly complied. "GONTA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Kaito yelled, the second he was connected.  
"Saving friends." Gonta said. "Gonta has cannon."  
"He dragged that thing out of my lab?!" Miu yelled.   
"Gonta don't do it. It's not worth it." Kaito begged.   
"Too late." Rantaro said, pointing out the window. A large, spacesuit-clad figure was floating outside of the ship, tethered by a thick white cord. In its hands was a massive, cannon-like weapon.   
"Gonta, get back inside." Kaito said. "Now! That's an order!"   
"No, sorry." Gonta said, sounding sad. "Gonta going to save friends."  
"Gonta this is crazy! You're gonna die!" Kaito yelled. The space snake had recovered from its last failed lunge. It had determined the location of the space ship, and was moving towards it. The only thing between it and the ship was Gonta.  
"Gonta come on, come back inside." Rantaro said, unable to hide the panic in his voice.   
"Gonta! Don't be dumber than you already are!" Miu yelled, looking terrified.   
Gonta answered calmly. "Believe in Gonta."  
Kaito took a deep breath. "Ok."   
"What?!" Rantaro and Miu yelled together.   
"I believe in him." Kaito said, starting to move farther from the snake. He couldn't outrun it any more, getting to those speeds would tear Gonta to shreds. His only hope now was to give Gonta enough time to prepare the cannon."  
"Kaito, sorry but are you insane?!" Rantaro said. "This is stupid!"   
"Get ready Gonta." Kaito said, ignoring the protests. "I can give you about twenty extra seconds."  
"If Gonta misses." Gonta said, voice crackling over the comms. "Gonta want friends to know Gonta loves them. Thank you for being friends with Gonta."   
"REEL HIM IN!" Miu screamed, tears in her eyes. It was too late for anything like that. The snake was bearing down now, getting closer and closer with every passing second. Its maw opened wide, revealing long, sharp yellow fangs. They were longer than Kaito's arm. Hell, they were probably taller than he was.   
"I can't look." Miu gasped, closing her eyes as the snake reached Gonta, tongue lashing forward, mouth opened wide. It shrieked once more, bringing its jaws down-  
A blast of brilliant light shot through its body, entering from its mouth, and bursting out the other end. The snake screamed, noise trailing off into a whimper as it died. What could only be described as snake guts leaked from its body. It looked like a noodle now. A massive, dead, gory noodle. Kaito didn't think he'd be eating noodles any time soon.  
"Holy shit. He got it." Rantaro said.   
"HE GOT IT!" Miu yelled. "PULL HIM IN DAMMIT!" The trio and Monodam rushed down to the spacelock, ready to greet him-  
"Oh my god." Kaito said in a terrified whisper. All of the space cables were left perfectly intact, not connected to anything.   
"W-wait, no, w-we saw him connected." Miu said, voice shaking. The spacelock doors slid open, making them all jump. Gonta walked in proudly, placing the cannon at his feet and pulling off his helmet. Blinky trotted in after him, a thick cord of the string like substance hanging from his mouth. A cord that ended tied around Gonta's waist. Kaito sighed in relief.   
"Gonta did it!" Gonta said. Kaito rushed forward, hugging him.   
"Hell yeah you did. You gave us all heart attacks, but you did it."   
Gonta smiled brightly, pulling the others, including Monodam into the hug. "Friends are safe!"   
"Not so tight!" Miu protested, although Kaito was sure she didn't mean it. Miu's life didn't seem complete without something to complain about.   
As their ship drifted past an alien snake corpse, (something Kaito thought he'd never think about) he felt the brightest glimmer of hope he'd felt in a long time. Right now in this moment, they were a team again. He only hoped it would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go!! I wanted to give Gonta a chance to really be the hero. I feel like he takes a backseat in a lot of drv3 things, so yeah, Gonta saves the day XD
> 
> Hopefully I'll be back before long with another update. I hope you enjoyed, and thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


End file.
